Awkward Energy - MinaDeku
by QuirkQuartz
Summary: The only reason Midoriya got to talking with Ashido was because his bandages needed reapplying. Still, this small hand of fate was all that was needed to spark a friendship and a far closer bond between the two classmates. I honestly have no idea what their ship name is, so I'ma call it MinaDeku
1. Missing A train

****Fair warning - This is one part fanfic, one part writing exercise. Ill deviate from the cannon a bit, but overall the story will be pretty recognizable. So, sorry if you're not up for this. If you are, then let's take a look at what's what, shall we?****

* * *

It wasn't long after returning to the classrooms that Midoriya noticed the bandages, previously wrapped firmly around his shattered arms, were slipping, loosening the grip they had around his recently healed limbs. He had tried tightening them himself, but since both his hands were totally battered, he had no success with this. Fighting Todoroki had left him absolutely beaten and broken, - Literally - struggling to even move his fingers until they had recovered. Even after recovering thanks to Recovery Girl's Quirk, he was still having trouble getting the feeling back into his fingers. Previous experience had taught him that he would need a short while before he would be able to feel the nerves in his hands fully again.

He decided that he'd have to go to see Recovery Girl again before he left today, so she could see if she could fix the bandages. The last thing he needed was his arms breaking again because he'd not bothered to get the faulty healing appendages looked at. He was already on slippery terms with the school nurse due to his overuse of his Quirk, and he didn't want to have to report to her the next day with another injury, particularly after the warning she had given him.

Coincidentally, the broken boy had arrived at his classroom door at the same time as another one of his classmates. The girl in front of him seemed to have just reached the door handle herself when she must have heard his footsteps from further down the corridor, as she turned her head in curiosity to see who it was, even though she had her hands on the classroom door handle. Mina Ashido, one of the classmates the awkward teenager hadn't spoken to particularly often. She wasn't an easy girl to miss, either, which made their lack of interaction somewhat more bizarre. Pink skin and equally pink, and messy hair, horns atop her head, and black sclera in her eyes, finished by yellow iris's that stood out like a firework against the night. She wasn't the kind of person you saw every day. She had changed from her gym clothes to the standard school uniform, as had Midoriya, although certain liberties had to be made thanks to the bandages he now wore. He had to wear his school jacket like a cloak around his neck, as opposed to Ashido, whom was able to properly and, surprisingly, given her personality, neatly.

Upon seeing him, Mina seemed to smile at him, removing her hand from their classrooms humongous door's handle and waved to him energetically, despite him being only a few meters away from her. "Midoriya!"

Not having spoken to her too much before, Midoriya broke into a small sweat, not too sure how to proceed with conversing with Ashido. Based on what little he knew about her, she was very sociable, energetic, and informal. He took a short intake of air before he responded, his wobbly smile forming in one corner of his mouth. "H-Hey, Ashido-san." One had to question how he was nervous when it came to interacting with people he'd not known all that well. For God's sake, he'd taken on villains, and had just a few hours ago, basically dared, and forced Todoroki to shoot fire – Freaking fire! - At him! How did he even possess the ability to be nervous when talking to his classmate?!

Ashido seemed to beam at his response, skipping over to him, and turning heel when she lined up next to him. There was just a short space between Midoriya and the door, so it hadn't really made a difference. "You doin' okay?"

"Urm... I guess the best I can be, considering..." Midoriya responded. Aside from the broken bones that were healing up, and reeling from the loss he had suffered, he was actually feeling okay about things. He wasn't entirely sure how they would pan out over the next few days, but he felt oddly optimistic about them.

"Good, good!" Another bright smile came from the pink skinned girl. Midoriya could dare say that her smile was contagious, because he found himself smiling just a little as the two of them interacted. He liked Ashido okay enough. She seemed to be a nice, if overzealous, sort of person. Their lack of conversation up until this point made it hard to guess if she was trying to get something out of him, or if she was just genuinely trying to have a pleasant conversation with him, not that it was unwelcome. The girl's mannerisms and actions seemed to suggest the latter, which Midoriya openly welcomed. "You need me to get the door for you?"

"I-If you don't mind..."

"No sweat!" Ashido took a few quickened steps forward, and flung the door open a bit faster than need be, and holding it open so Midoriya could step through with minimal difficulty. He thanked the hyperactive girl as he walked past her, and she made her way to her seat.

Taking special care to not upset Bakugou, as Midoriya was convinced the blond boy would actually kill him if he pissed him off, given the furious glare he was giving the wall, with his first place medal still hanging from his mouth, Midoriya took his own seat behind the raging Explosive Quirk user, resting his shattered arms on the desk the best he could, trying not to upset the delicate hold the bandages had, wrapped around him.

He was more than aware of some of the looks his classmates were giving him. His fight had been, to many, the highlight of the entire festival, even more so than the finals, within their group, anyway. They'd all seen Midoriya fight in a way they had never seen before, throw himself into the fray with no regard for his well-being in a way none of them had expected, and had gone toe to toe with the person everyone had considered to be the single strongest person in their entire class, and push him to the point of breaking his one rule of never using the Pyrokinetic aspect of his Quirk, and nearly beaten him. Even when he was supposed to be taking Todoroki down, he had displayed that altruism that everyone knew him for, despite it having been none of his business to do so.

It was a side that no one had ever expected someone as meek as Midoriya to display.

The gutsy part of him. That part of him that thought nothing of broken bones, shattered hands and bloody knuckles in the pursuit of victory and assisting those who needed it. His classmates couldn't help but at least give him a second glance.

Ashido in particular staring at him a bit longer than most others were, although Midoriya didn't notice this particular detail.

It wasn't long before Aizawa came into the room, still wrapped up like a mummy in the bandages he had received from the USJ fight, and announced, "Due to the nature of the Sports Day Festival, you'll have tomorrow and the next day off to recover." It actually came as a surprise to the inheritor of One For All that Yuuei would allow their students time off, even in these circumstances. Part of him actually felt disappointed about it, now more motivated than ever to learn, to train, to become a Hero. But when he remembered the state he was in, he resigned that it probably was for the best.

Today was Wednesday, meaning the days the class had off were Thursday and Friday. The weekend rolled in after that, totalling up at a four day break from attending classes. In middle school, such a lengthy break would have called for a celebration, and would have made the classmates he had back then too happy to bother bullying him for his lack of a Quirk. (Thinking back on it, Midoriya wondered if any of his former classmates had watched his participation in the events today.)

For the elite students of Class 1-A, however, a four day grace period before they could get back to work almost felt like a kick in the teeth. Each and every one of them had signed up for the hardest tasks and to keep pushing themselves both physically and academically in order to become the very best they could be. Being told that they couldn't due to this was almost saddening. But none of them complained, at least vocally. They all knew they needed the rest, deep down, though they may not have liked to admit it. Some of them had injuries that needed time to recover. Some of them, particularly Todoroki, with the family issues he suffered regularly, and Iida, wherever he was right now, had emotional issues they had to clear up before they could return to give it their optimum efforts.

This was for the best. A few days or boredom was preferable to failing their classes for the next couple days.

Students raised from their seats, filtering out of the room once they had acquired their belongings, some leaving far more vocally and explosively than others, until it was just Uraraka and Midoriya, Midoriya trying to tighten up what he could of the bandages, and Uraraka looking at him like he'd just gone feral. The fact the white material was now in his mouth between a set of clenched teeth didn't do anything to help the messy green haired boy's image.

"Um, Deku?" The Zero-Gravity Quirk holder asked, concerned, "What the heck are you doing?"

Midoriya only just realised that his friend had been stood there with her mouth slightly ajar at his curious behaviour, watching him, from an outsiders perspective, attempt to chew off the medical equipment designed to aid his recovery. "O-Oh! My - The bandages are sort of loose! I - I'm just trying to keep them from falling off!" His awkward reply was only amplified thanks to him talking without removing said bandages from his mouth. Realising this only embarrassed him further, so he allowed the object to fall from his mouth, and awkwardly smiled at his friend. "I - I'm going to see Recovery Girl, and I kinda don't want her to yell at me. Eh heh heh..." He laughed quietly, knowing it wasn't really that funny.

Thankfully, Uraraka knew how shy and awkward he was, and accepted his reasoning and silly actions reasonably quickly. Mercifully, she moved along with the conversation, sparing Midoriya and further embarrassment. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"That's - That's okay. You go on ahead. I'd like to think about some things on my own if that's okay."

"Okay, Deku." The browned haired girl nodded at him, adding on her affectionate nickname for him. "Make sure not to fall over on your way there."

That would hurt, a lot, Midoriya thought, shivering at the prospect. "R-Right... Thanks..." Sometimes, he really wished that his friend would think before she spoke, if only for his own reassurances.

With that, she left him alone in the classroom. Once she was gone, he let out a long winded sigh. The truth was, he just felt like being alone for a little while. Just to let himself contemplate the day gone by. He picked himself up, and made his way to Recovery Girl's office.

* * *

She wasn't happy to see him back again so soon after sending him out of her office with a slap on the wrist and a warning. She honestly had expected, knowing Midorya, that he had broken his body once again trying to save someone or something equally dumb and selfless, like getting a cat out of a tree. She was almost prepared to chase him out of the room while wielding a nearby rigid piece of equipment, but once he managed to stutter out his reason for being here, she quickly calmed down, and tended to the bandages in silence.

There was a certain sense of calm that befell Midoriya when Recovery Girl never questioned him about his Quirk. She knew everything. About All Might. About One For All. About his previously Quirkless nature. It felt good to not have to hide that from her. That at least one person knew about who he really was. He appreciated and respected Recovery Girl as a member of Yuuei for just that reason. Although he had to admit, she was a very stubborn sort of person when she wanted to be. Her refusal to treat his injuries any further left him in a bad position - Either stop using One For All, suffer the large recovery time it would take to heal from his Quirks backlash naturally, or find a better way to handle said power.

The first two were totally out of the question. And he wasn't sure how to go about doing that last one. He had felt he was making steady, if painful, progress to achieving better control over his bestowed power. That had partly been in thanks to the knowledge he could be healed if he became injured. That service now stripped away from him, he wasn't sure how to proceed.

Thanking Recovery Girl, Midoriya left the nurses office, his bandages now firmly secured, and began to make his way off of the school premises. Glancing at the clock, he saw that he had missed his usual train ride back home, or more accurately, there was no way he'd be able to get there in time in his current state. A new train came at quarter to the hour every hour. He wouldn't be waiting for too long, so it wasn't like it would be a huge problem.

He'd only just gotten past the gates of the school parameter, when he heard his name being called out from behind him, along with the crunching sounds of rapid footsteps. "Midoriya! Waaaaaait uuuuup!"

Quickly turning around, mostly on reflex, Midoriya was just in time to see what he could only describe as a pink blur skidding to a half on the heels of her shoes, kicking up a bit of a dust cloud that caught onto the young Hero in training's uniform, so he had to shield his eyes to prevent any debris from hitting his eyes from it. "A - Ashido-san?"

"Yep!" Ashido confirmed, standing up on her tip-toes so she was just that tiny bit higher than her male classmate. Without this small boost in her height, she stood just a couple of inches shorter than her male classmate, even with her horns included. "We seem to keep running into each other a lot today, huh?" this was the second time, but Midoriya kept that thought to himself. "You headed to the subway now?"

Her mouth was running at a mile a minute, requiring her conversation partner to need a second to process the words she had said and put them into a complete sentence before he could make an appropriate, if short response. "Y-Yes."

"Mind if I tag along with you?"

"S-Sure thing." He would have preferred to walk alone, to go over the day's fights in his head, but he would have felt a lot ruder if he just turned her away when she had so kindly asked him. He decided in that split second that it wouldn't be that bad to go with her. They were both heading to the same location anyway, so it wasn't like he could avoid her even if he wanted to.

"Yay!" Ashido cheered by throwing her hands into the air in an overly dramatic fashion, and jumping in line with Midoriya once again. The two of them walked in sync, Ashido leading most of the conversation. "Your fight with Todoroki was amazing! You were all like 'Bam-Bam-Bam!' And Todoroki was like 'Boom-Boom-Boom!'" With each one of her short, but accurate descriptive words, she threw a punch in the air in front of her, expelling all that pent up energy she seemed to generate at a rapid scale. "It was super intense!"

"Y-Yeah... It was pretty tense, huh?" The loser of the battle she was describing agreed. It had been a very tense fight, although he had been in a ton of pain for each second of it.

"It was totally cool how you forced him into using his fire power! I've never seen him pushed that far before! You're really strong!"

"You - You think so?"

"Yeah dude! Not even those villains back at USJ could force him to use his fire! I thought he was the strongest in our class for sure..." Ashido swayed her hips from side to side, her skirt following as she did so. He tilted her head and leaned forward, so she could clearly look at the face of her classmate. "I'm starting to think it might be you now."

Midoriya laughed awkwardly, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. An example of Ashido's excitable and overenthusiastic nature. "I - I wouldn't go that far... I - I mean, it took its toll on me. I had to push myself to the limits to even get him to use his fire, a-and he beat me in one move with it!"

Folding her arms and puffing out her cheeks, Ashido looked straight ahead, like she was thinking very hard about what to say in response to that. It wasn't really a statement she could argue with, since the fight had left Midoriya with broken bones once again. She almost could have looked like she was sulking if she hadn't spoken up again with, "Your Quirk really is strange, y'know?"

"O-Oh?"

"Every time you use it your body breaks. It's weird, ya know? And it sucks too. It's such a strong power. It's like if my Acid burned me every time I used it." Comparing their Quirks wasn't the best subject, not that she knew that fact. While Ashido was born with her power, Midoriya's had been passed down to him. But he understood the logic of what she was saying, and from an outside perspective, it would seem peculiar that his own Quirk violently harmed him like it did from only one use. It would be more understandable if it happened over multiple uses, like a drawback to pushing past his limits, like Uraraka's nausea or Todoroki's frostbite from overusing their respective powers, but from a single use? Midoriya couldn't blame Ashido for thinking that his Quirk was strange.

"I-I guess so, huh! Hahahaha!" He laughed a bit louder and more obviously forced than he would have ever liked to have in any conversation with literally anyone. He even got a few odd glances from some of the people walking past the two Yuuei students, as well as Ashido.

Surprisingly enough though, she didn't seem to think too much of it. She just shrugged her shoulders, readjusting her heavily decorated backpack, and smirked, glancing at him with her yellow iris from the corner of her eyes. "So it's not just you that's strange, but your power is too."

"What - What do you mean by that?"

"I just found it odd that someone who has such an awesome Quirk could be so... Wimpy..."

That elicited a genuine laugh from Midoriya, albeit an awkward one, since Ashido had technically insulted him. He was certain she didn't mean any offence though. She was a bit like Asui in that respect. "You - You don't mince your words, do you?"

"But when you try to help people, you suddenly become this badass fighter!" This was the first time that Midoriya outright blushed at the compliments that were being thrown at him by the pink haired girl. Sure, he'd been red in the face basically the entire time, but that was par for the course with him whenever he received such praise. This was an outright blush that warmed his cheeks. "I don't think there's a lot of people who could throw themselves at an enemy when they know that they'll definitely break their bones. I think its super cool!"

Unsure how to respond to that, Midoriya just smiled to himself as both he and Ashido walked down the steps to the subway lines. He felt... Really good about himself right now. All his life, he'd wanted to be a really cool, calm, and inspiring Hero to people who could watch him and think, 'That's such a cool Hero!' Hearing that compliment from someone who had watched him fight and said this themselves... Midoriya just didn't know how to express his gratitude. His warm red blush now covered his freckles, masking them in a surrounding of scarlet, and he felt his heart rate quickening just that bit faster.

Upon the inspection of the train times, Ashido let out a long groan as her head slumped forward, her arms limp at her sides, like every time Midoriya broke his arm. "Aaaaaawwwwwww maaaaaaaaaan. I missed my train. I'm gonna be here ageeeeeees!"

Glancing at the timetable, Midoriya saw that his own train was due in just a few minutes. The next one wouldn't be arriving for another hour if he missed it, so he didn't want to stay around, but he felt bad for Ashido. "What - What number is your train?"

"Hrm?" Ashido glanced at Midoriya before she took another look at the time table to get the number again. "Three-Seven-Two."

Smiling, Midoriya informed her, "There's a train with that number that leaves from my home station, actually. I think it sets off sooner than the one here." Pure luck, as it were. Pure luck that Midoriya just happened to be the person Ashido had been walking with, and that he was the sort of person who just happened to remember all this random trivia.

"Really?!" The pink girl's black eyes somehow seemed to sparkle at Midoriya's sentence. The life seemed to have been shot back into her at the base of the spine, a very rapid turnaround from just a few moments ago.

Taking just a second to make sure he wasn't wrong, the green haired boy did a quick run through of all the trains that he saw at his local subway station each and every day. "Let me think... I normally get on the train that I missed today that leaves at around 4PM and arrives at home about half an hour later. I leave and get onto the station and there's always a line of trains to the right hand side..." He began his usual muttering that he did whenever deep in thought, which earned him an odd look from the girl with the Acid Quirk, since this was the first time she had seen his legendary muttering in person. Nodding his head, he reaffirmed his statement. "Yep, I'm sure of it. It leaves about five minutes after my train gets back. I'm pretty sure it takes a faster route too."

"You're kidding!" Ashido seemed to bounce up and down with excitement over this new information she was being presented with. She was almost like a kid at Christmas opening a new gift. "Can I travel with you then?" When Midoriya nodded his head - What else could he do? Say no, turn heel and run for it? - Ashido had to physically stop herself from hugging the boy, and she came very close to doing so, before she remembered his multiple shattered limbs. Instead, she just placed her hands in his shoulders and continued to bounce up and down in her trademarked zeal. "You're the best, Midori!"

He had to blush at that name. When had he turned from Midoriya to Midori? He didn't let the thoughts of that cloud his mind for too long, since he had to lead his classmate to the train that he normally captured back home before it departed from the station and left them both stranded on the station in the middle of Tokyo. They had to run a bit of the last leg of their journey to Midoriya's normal platform, since there were so many people using the subway that day, many of them most likely spectators from the Yuuei Sports festival. Once on the train with just a few seconds to spare, both the students both caught their breath, and shared a small laugh at how hectic the trip to their train had been.

They both found a set of empty seats that they both sat at, Ashido insisting that Midoriya take the window seat, since he was still injured, and engaged in further conversation with one another. Being within close proximity to the girl led Midoriya to a few observations he may not have otherwise made when it came to Ashido.

First and foremost, he noticed that she had a very unique scent to her, and while thinking that sentence alone was enough to make Midoriya blush, he realised it was most likely akin to the type of shampoo she applied to her hair. Bubble-gum and citron. That's what he first thought of when he first caught scent of it.

Secondly, was that she had a very pretty smile. Being so close to her, Midoriya was able to note her smile seemed to brighten up the entire subway. It was infectious, as though no choice of his own, he found himself smiling alongside her, for no reason whatsoever. It would have made him blush were the grin on his face not taking up the space that he had to do so.

The girl also possessed more energy than Midoriya even knew a single person could contain. She was the sort of person who would look out the window and become enthused by a new brick texture that had some colourful graffiti spray - painted onto it.

Taking a few seconds out of their conversation to check the Hero news, as he always like to do on his journeys to and from school, Midoriya scanned over a few articles that were currently trending. Nothing on Iida's brother, he noted. It wasn't surprising, since it was a very recent development, but still, he worried for his friend.

"Hey Midoriya. What about your arms? When will they be healed?"

"Um... Recovery Girl said to leave them on today and tomorrow... And then I can take them off when I wake up on Saturday..." He didn't take his eyes off his phone as he read a story about a thug who used a Quirk that allowed him to turn his body into grass to fight off the custody enforcement officers during a chase.

"Sooooo, what're you gonna be doing for our time off?" Ashido asked, leaning over her classmates shoulder to see what he was reading. Her voice was a lot closer to his ears than he was used to when she did this, which caused him to jump back a bit from her.

"O - Oh... Um..." His hand containing his phone now rested on his lap, and he looked up to face the pink-skinned girl. There wasn't really an answer he could give without giving away the sheer levels of hardiness that he exhibited, so he just decided to be honest. "I guess just studying."

"Is that all you do?" A raised eyebrow came alongside the response.

"N - No!" Suddenly, he felt embarrassed. Did he seriously give off the sort of impression that all he did was sit in his room and study all day? Did all his classmates have that mental perception of him?

"What else do you do then?"

"I... Lift weights?" It was more like a question than it was a statement, and even then, it was a fairly mediocre response at best. From anyone else, it would sound like he was attempting to boast about his weightlifting, whereas with Midoriya, it was probably the furthest thing from what he was doing. It almost sounded like he was pitying himself.

"You don't go out and just do stuff for fun a lot, huh?" Ashido sounded almost sympathetic, sad nearly, like she'd just found out a little kid she had been looking after had never been to a theme park.

"I - I guess not." Since before he had even enrolled in Yuuei Academy, Midoriya had barely had any free time to do anything he normally considered fun. His pastimes before All Might had thrown his working regime at the Quirkless Hero admirer had involved reading from his impressive collection of Superhero comics and reading about various Pro-Heroes online.

He hadn't gotten out much, even when he had had every opportunity to do so. He attributed it to his lack of friends due to growing up without a Quirk. No one wanted much of anything to do with him because of it. He hadn't had a reason to go out and experience anything like that in his life.

It wasn't something that particularly bothered Midoriya. Not that he opposed the concept of just having fun with friends for a few hours at a carnival or something along the lines, but in all honesty, all he had ever wanted to do as a child was prepare for when he grew up and became a Hero. It had been a one track-life for him so far, but he couldn't begin to think of any other way he'd wanted to spend his childhood.

Aside from maybe having a Quirk.

"I know what you need!" Ashido acted without warning, and snatched the phone straight out of Midoriya's hands. With honestly impressive speed, she flipped out her own phone and began running through her contacts while scanning through Midoriya's. She noticed that on the list of contacts he had, the only two he had favourited were his mother's and Uraraka's. After quickly typing in her own number, and getting Midoriya's number for her own phone, she took the liberty of marking herself as a favourite on the boy's phone, her name now at the top of his contact list since her name was alphabetically the earliest on in his favourites list. She also made note to add two wave symbols at the start and end of her name before she gave the boy his phone back.

Stunned by the immensely fast interaction, Midoriya had to confess, he was amazed with just how speedy she was when it came to mobile technology when she wanted to be. She had only had hold of his phone for about ten seconds before she was handing it back to him with a new contact logged into it. "What the -"

"Your bandages come off Saturday, right?" Ashido stood up suddenly. Glancing around, Midoriya was amazed that he hadn't noticed the train had stopped, at his usual station no less! He struggled up, but kindly, his fellow student helped him out of his predicament with a fond smile. "We should hang out!"

"H-Huh?!"

The horned girl held up her phone for the plain-looking boy to see, covered in a glittery silver phone case with a bunch of colourful stickers and buttons attached to it. "I've got your number, so I'll text you later, yeah?" She didn't give the confused boy enough time to respond before dashing off, apparently deciding that she could find her train from here, despite having never been to this station before. "Catch you later, Midori!"

"W-Wait a second!" Midoriya called out, but Ashido was already off the train, and lost in the crowd of people. "You don't even know where your train leaves from..." He tried to call out, but as he finished the sentence, his words got quieter and quieter before he just eventually stopped talking. Blinking hard a few times, he inquired himself; What the hell had just happened? Contemplating this very understandable question, alarmed by an announcement, he had to run off of the train before the doors sealed and he ended up somewhere in the central Tokyo district.

That had been a dramatic change of pace, to say the very least. He knew Ashido was impulsive and bombastic when it came to her energy and social interactions, but that had been an unpredictable move. He barely even knew Ashido, and now she was asking him to hang out with her during their time off. And she'd run for it before he could say no. Or yes. She'd just dashed off before he could fully comprehend what she had said to him, now lost in that sea of people, unable to be found, no matter how much she stood out. Mixed into the crowd of brown trench-coats and colourful dressed.

He sighed, hoping that she'd find her way around okay. He would have happily shown her to her station if she'd just waited for him, but evidently, patience wasn't the biggest virtue of Ashido's. It wasn't that the platform was particularly difficult to navigate or anything, but he worried that since it was her first time in this area, she might get turned around. Then again, she seemed to have a talent for figuring things out, however unorthodox those solutions may be.

Curious, he unlocked his phone and swept through his contacts. And he blushed when he saw what name Ashido had put her number as.

~Mina~

* * *

"Seven times! Can you believe it?!"

"Nope..." Doing his best to hold his fork in his bandaged hand, Midoriya attempted to jab his cutlery into the freshly cooked egg his mother had served him. His grip wasn't as firm as he would have liked, so his fork ended up skidding across to the other side of the plate, as opposed to scooping up the piece of food. Without the use of his other hand, he couldn't cut up his dinner, nor could he use a knife to scoop the sustenance onto his fork. "Damn!..."

His mother was talking to him about the number of times she had fainted during the Sports Day Festival. Broadcast worldwide, it was a very popular, reoccurring success every time it came around. Midoriya had watched it with his mother many times before his enrolment into the prestigious Yuuei Academy, fascinated and enamoured by all the amazing Quirks and Heroes in training competing in the event. He'd dreamed, but never truly thought that he could be a part of it someday. "I fainted seven whole times during the Cavalry battle! And the last two were from dehydration!"

"You even did better than me in that department..." Midoriya attempted another jab at his meal, but with the same results. His mother sometimes over exaggerated, but judging by the literal mountain of tissues that he'd found nearly enwrapped by when he came through the front door, he wasn't inclined to disbelieve her. To be honest though, he was only half listening. He had way too many things on his mind. Namely, One For All, and Ashido-San.

The pink girl had invaded his thoughts even when back home, the conversations they had engaged in, the laughter they had shared, and the journey back to the familiarity of his neighbourhood. She had managed to systematically make her way into his thoughts while back at home, and dealing with his hypersensitive, caring mother. Midoriya wasn't sure how she had managed that.

Ashido completely juxtaposed the entire way he had grown up. His place of raising had been a place that had felt dark, oppressive, and downright imprisoning at times throughout his childhood. The bullying, the teasing, the bitter disappointment and heartbreak he felt of being Quirkless... Though it had been no fault of her own, his mother had done everything in her limited power to brighten up his world, but in the end, she had just allowed him to remain in the darkness that he seemed to keep crawling back into, hoping that one day, things would get better for him. They had, of course, and his mother had wept maybe three buckets worth of tears when he came home that day and told her about 'His' Quirk. But for the most part? The place felt just... So empty to Midoriya.

But Ashido? Her very existence was an opposition to the conditions in which he had grown up in. She was so bright and cheerful, she could make the night time seem like a dimmer switch at a disco rave. Even her pigmented skin was bright and colourful. The freedom with which she carried herself was like nothing Midoriya had ever seen. She never seemed to hold back, or even really know how to. Throw something at her, and Ashido would go at it with pretty much everything she could manage with no regrets and a smile on her face, unless it was an academic paper of course.

Maybe it was all those things that made her stick to his thoughts like glue when he returned to his home.

"I know you told me your Quirk manifested so unexpectedly, but why does it have to be such a dangerous power?..." His mother said with a sigh, a worried look plastered on her face. "I support you, Izuku, of course I do... But you still make your poor mother worry."

"Right... Sorry..." And that was the other thing. His power just wasn't stable enough to keep going the way he was. He could barely contain the boundless energy of One For All within his fragile body, with no idea how to proceed with how to begin learning to control it. He'd thrown a few 5% punches, but that wasn't to say that he knew how he'd even managed it in the first place. They'd been accidents. Coincidence. Luck of the draw as it were.

He needed a better way.

A way that didn't involve him being a glass cannon anymore. A way that meant he didn't have to rely on everyone else saving him all the time. A way that meant he didn't have to worry anyone anymore.

Through diligence and determination, he'd improved his intellectual capabilities and academia in order to enter Yuuei. Through bravery and a willingness to throw himself into the fray for the sake of others, he'd proven to everyone who ever doubted him that he could become a Hero.

Now he needed all those skills to learn how to utilise One For All, once and for all.

"Do you wanna watch the videos?" His mother asked Midoriya, her voice pepper and upbeat again. "They're in HD! HD!" Living in their sets of flats, they rarely got HD video footage, since it was overly expensive. His mother had made an exception for her son's debut on the sports day.

Midoriya considered for a moment, before he nodded. "Yeah, I think I do... I wanna see a fight I missed."

* * *

 **Welp, this is the first chapter of the first my Hero Academia story that I'm putting out. I said it at the start, and I'll say it again - This is one part fanfic, the other part writing exercise. I'll be deviating from the canon in a few places, but overall, I'll be fairly close where it lies.**

 **Next** **chapter, I plan on focusing on Mina's perspective, which should certainly be a challenge, and quite a bit of fun. Mina's obviously a favourite of mine, since she's both hilarious and adorable as hell, and I will freely admit I think she's the cutest damn thing in all My Hero Academia - Fight me.**

 **I'ma write this whenever I'm bored and have a few moments to kill, so usually while I'm falling asleep and not reading WhiteRose from RWBY. It's more just a guilty pleasure thing more than anything else, so expect me to have a few ideas in there that I just really wanna write. Hey, if people like this sorta thing, maybe I'll make another one that's a bit more out there. Who knows? I'm in a fairly happy place with my writing these days, so**

 **Since I got a shout out from him, and because I freaking adore his work so I'd do this anyways, be sure to check out SecondaryVulpine's Urban Ultra story if you haven't already. Trust me, it's freaking hilarious, and it's apparently the only multiple chapter story of MinaXIzuku, so it's a win-win. Well, I like it anyway. You can find it one FF. Net or Ao3. Either one works.**

 **Until next time guys! See ya!**


	2. Waiting For A Chime

Mina wasn't exactly a morning person even at the best of times. Sure, she could normally handle a morning alright before she'd had her usual intake of caffeine that she required before she was really ready to start the day, but after the trial by fire that had been the Yuuei Sports Festival that she'd been through yesterday, she felt perfectly justified in sleeping in the next morning. That was what the time off given to them had been for, right? To relax. To recharge. To replenish her normally unlimited energy. And also for the second and third years to have their days in the spotlight, but mostly for them to relax!

So when she woke up, opening only one eye groggily, getting a small glimpse of her walls and roof, heavily decorated with photographs and posters of all sorts of things, she immediately closed it once again, yawned, and shuffled to a more comfortable sleeping position.

Still, now she was awake, her thoughts began to come back to her.

Yesterday had certainly been intense, but it had also been incredibly fun, as far as she was concerned. Sure, she'd lost, but she'd shown what she was made of to all the professionals. That had to be worth something, didn't it? She'd made it the the final events, even finished in the top 8! Top 8! That had been far more than she'd ever expected to achieve, especially with a Quirk like hers. Granted, against Fumikage, her Quirk had basically been useless, but she'd at least managed to give him a good fight. When given a matchup as bad as that, she couldn't really have asked for much more.

And then there was Midori.

She couldn't stop herself from smiling when she thought about that nickname she had given him. Pleasantly surprised that he hadn't seemed too uncomfortable with it, Mina decided that that was now her name for him. Like how Uraraka called him Deku, she would call him Midori.

Mina had been perfectly aware as to how little they had spoken until yesterday. She was very much aware of that fact. She'd not made it a secret that she respected him as a classmate and a student, not even slightly hiding the admiration she had for his intellect and his attitude towards becoming a Hero. Anyone would be hard-pressed to find someone in their class who didn't, if you excluded Bakugou, of course.

But she really didn't know him all that well. In fact, she knew Todoroki better than she knew Midoriya, and she'd had perhaps one and a half conversations with the Half-Hot-Half-Cold Quirk user. He was the strongest in their class, even without his fire powers. She had honestly been rooting for him when the match began.

But how quickly her support had changed.

She had become engrossed by the sheer levels of determination and the remarkable, indomitable will that meek, shy Midoriya had shown. He'd burst out of his shell like a hand grenade, and given the biggest display of strength and power of anyone there that day. She didn't care who disagreed with her on that, or what their reasons were. The Sports Day Festival belonged to Midoriya and his fight with Todoroki.

But it was far more than that. They should have been fighting. But Midoriya had pushed their bi-hair-coloured classmate, pausing aside what held him back. He'd made him use his fire powers. All while breaking his bones just to use his Quirk, and even then, he kept using it on his shattered arms to carry on a fight he couldn't possibly have won.

How could she not have been inspired by that?

She'd had to talk to him after that. She just had to. There wasn't any way that she couldn't say something to him! Seeing him walking alone had been her chance, and she had taken it gladly and without any hesitation. She was a social creature, it was in her nature to converse with people whenever she could, and she'd discovered that Midori made for entertaining company. Sure he was a little awkward, and a massive nerd, but she'd come to expect those things from the boy whose curly green hair rivalled her own pink mess in terms of curliness and presumed difficulty to make behave. Not that Mina ever really tried to get hers under control, much to her mothers chagrin. If her mother thought she would be able to tame the jungle that was Mina Ashido's hair, she clearly had no idea who she was dealing with!

Another smile crept onto her face when she remembered the look of pure confusion that had taken over his face when she had swiped his phone and added her own details to it. He'd looked so confused, it was hilarious to think about.

Suddenly, she found herself wide awake. Just thinking about yesterday had given her a shot of her trademarked energy. Her eyes shot open, and she threw her duvet to the side. Checking her phone, she was a bit disappointed to not see a message or anything of the sort from Midori, but she didn't let it bother her. She had thrown out the prospect of hanging out at the weekend rather suddenly, so she didn't hold it against him. Making note that the time was a lot later than she normally would rise from her slumber - 11:30, she decided to let her family know she was up and about. She didn't bother changing out of her sleepwear, which consisted of a pair of cute purple short-shorts that only covered up half of her thighs, and a black t-shirt that had a pink inscription written on it in a fancy font that Mina didn't know the name of. It read, in bold capital, whatever the hell font this was, ' _Pinky_.' What a classy birthday gift her brother had gotten her.

Swinging the door open, Mina stepped barefooted out of her room in onto the landing, with a song in her heart and a smile on her face.

Only to instantly regret this decision a second later when she trod onto a piece of lego she hadn't seen. God damn it, Mika.

If her family hasn't figured out that she was awake before, the cry of pain had definitely given her away. Treading on lego barefoot was the single most painful experience that anyone could be subjected to, Mina thought as she hissed loudly. She wasn't sure what cosmic deity she had angered for this to be how her day started, but o- _ho_ boy, was she going to give it a reason to be angry by the time she had finished with it!

"Mina?" Oh good, here was Mika now.

Shooting a glare at her younger sibling, Mina made note of how much of a grin her little sister had on her face right now. Like she had planned this. Or perhaps Micha had put the idea into her impressionable little head, who knew? Either way, Mina grabbed the small girls head in one hand in a claw-like motion, and began to apply pressure to her siblings temple very slowly. Not enough to cause serious pain, but enough to get a reaction. Mina had done this many times, and the rest of the family just tended to let it happen. Apparently it was now just how the pink girl solved family disputes.

"Mika, sis, could you please remind me how many times I've asked you not to leave your lego outside my door?" Mina asked with a pained and forced smile, her pink hair covering her pitch black eyes.

"Um, six?" Her sister phrased it more like a question than she did an answer. She didn't seem particularly bothered by her sisters grip around her skull. Perhaps she had developed some immunity to it.

"Six." Mina repeated, her pained smile still stuck to her face. "So... Why is there still lego outside my bedroom door?"

"I dunno!" Her sisters response was way too cheerful for Mina's liking. She was convinced Mika enjoyed pulling these pranks on her. She loved her little sister dearly, she did, but this was one of those times where she really felt like throwing her down a flight of stairs.

"Can you move them, sis?" Mina sighed, letting go of her sisters head. She needed caffeine.

"'Kay!" Mika started collecting the tiny plastic building blocks and carrying them away to her bedroom, far out of reach of the Acid Quirk user. Good job too, because Mina had been on the verge of dissolving them with the most corrosive acid that she could generate.

Another yawn escaped Mina's mouth, one she didn't even bother attempting to suppress. Small tears welled up in her eyes, which she rubbed away quickly before going to get her morning coffee. She made the trip downstairs and to the kitchen, the cold tiles on the floor sending a shiver right up her bare feet and up to the rest of her body. The fact her sleepwear left little to be desired didn't help the sudden chill she had. Not that that mattered at all. That part was just a psychedelic perception.

She only noticed her father saw on the sofa that the kept in their kitchen, with a newspaper in hand, when she reached the coffee machine, and hit the button to make herself a fresh cup. While a lot of people now got their news from the internet, her father claimed to prefer the more traditional methods, at least when he was stirring over his morning brew. Upon realising that his daughter was in the room, he peeked over the top of the paper. "Look who decided to join us from beyond the grave."

"Morning to you too, Dad." Mina smiled at her father. Like everyone else in her family, she shared a good, yet back-and-forth comedic relationship with her father. She was certain that he was where she got her sense of humour from, since they shared a similar taste in jokes, and in blunt humour. Glancing around the room, the pink girl questioned, "Where're Micha and Mara at?"

"Micha took them both to a new movie. That one Mara's been looking forward to."

How her older brother could stand those God awful films their younger sibling enjoyed was beyond Mina. She suspected that there was a bit more to it than that, since she knew Micha wasn't a huge fan of those films either. "Guy time?"

"Guy time." It basically translated to them going to the arcade afterwards, gorging themselves on fattening take-out foods, and spying on what women they thought looked attractive. Creeps.

Rolling her eyes, Mina heard the chime that indicated that the pot was ready. She reached for 'her' mug, covered in colourful scribbles and childish drawings she had done when she was younger, and filled it up to the brim. Thankfully, she didn't need to waste time with adding in her usual additions like milk and sugars, since the machine did it all for her. If she had the levels of sugar that she normally wanted by default, she would probably have ended up with type two diabetes by the time she was twelve.

Taking a sip, she felt the life and energy shoot right back into her like a lightning bolt. Still, that didn't stop it from scolding her tongue. She quickly used her hand like a fan to cool down her face, wafting it up and down as fast as one could possible see, and making a pained expression on her face that her father couldn't help but chuckle at. "Nice to see you enjoying my pain, Dad."

"It is amusing to watch you flail like a fish out of water, you human mess."

"I learned it from the best." Mina sighed and smiled. Her family really were the biggest bunch of jerks she knew, and she loved them for it. Her mother was normally out of the house for the majority of Thursdays, working at some job in the main city that Mina had never bothered to ask about. It was only a recent employment, and considering everything that had gone down at Yuuei, it hadn't been at the forefront of her thoughts.

Her father worked in medicine at a good establishment that could offer time off for their employees during the working week. Something about more productivity during working hours over total working hours. Whatever it was, Mina's father loved the job he did, so when he did have to go to work, he never was upset or ticked off about having to do so.

So that left her and her three siblings. Mika, Micha and Mara. And Mina.

Mina, Mika, Micha, Mara. The pink girl was convinced that her family had been trying to name them so they could start a barbershop quartet group with rhyming names. Mina was the second oldest in her family, Micha being just a year older than her. He didn't get into Yuuei, though he had tried, and failed the year before Mina had applied. He didn't seem too bitter about it though, so she shared a good relationship with him, even if he did like to tease her about anything he could think of. Her pink skin was one thing he liked to target. In turn, she made fun of his skinny demeanour - Seriously, Mina was packing more muscle than he was, and he was actively trying to get some meat on his bones. They always found something to make fun of about each other.

As for Mika and Mara, Mika being ten, while Mara was just a two years Mina's junior, while she loved them both, they did seem to take a particular pleasure in making Mina's life as painful as possible. The lego incident seemed to happen on average at least once a week. But that was just a small fragment of the stresses they brought. Taking her chargers, since they seemed to never know where their own went missing, messing with her school papers because they wanted to read them, playing with her phone when she left it unsupervised because she apparently had all the cool games on her device. She locked the damn device anyway, how did they even find out about the games she had?!

Still, that was the ragtag state of the Ashido family. Blunt and bickering, but continuously loving and joking.

Mina took another, this time a longer drink of her coffee. This time, she'd managed to chug the entire mug of her kick-starter liquid. She let out a satisfied sigh before leaving the mug on the counter and heading back up to her room to get changed. She kept a sharp eye out for any pain inducing pieces of plastic as she did so, not wanting to end up with another lego piece lodged inside her skin. _'Just one more time, Mika, and I'm throwing it in Hydrochloric Acid.'_

Now that she was filled with caffeine, she contemplated that there was for her to do today. She was awake now, but there didn't seem to be a whole lot for her to do today. Debating her options, she supposed she could rummage through Micha's room and steal a few of his comics to read through. Not like she had anything better to do. There was also the games she and her siblings shared in the living room. She could probably spend a few hours on any game of her preference before her siblings came back and inevitably out-voted her on their choice of game which usually involved guns, cars and hookers. Again, creeps.

In the end though, the choice wound up being taken from her. Just as she had changed into her clothing for today and settled for clocking in a few hours with a gamepad and one of the many games she and her siblings had collected, her phone began to play the jingle it played whenever she received a text message. For a brief second, she thought it might have been Midoriya, or one of her schoolmates there to shatter her boredom. Instead, she found that it was a message from her mother, asking her if she could go into the city to pick up some supplies. Apparently her previous day of absolute exhaustion meant nothing to her mother. Good to know. While her mother could be as laid back as the rest of her family, she was a lot stricter at the same time, and Mina didn't feel like pissing her off too much.

Letting out a small sigh, Mina supposed that there could be something vaguely interesting going on in the city. She speed-typed a reply, grabbed a set of earphones, loaded up one of her favourite rock artists' tracks, threw on one of her many hoodies, and burst her way out of the house.

* * *

Waking up so late, Mina wasn't surprised to find that the city was bursting with life when she got there. Even with the various loud strums and guitar riffs that her earphones were conveying with her choice in music, she could still hear the incomprehensible chattering of about two thousand interchangeable conversations going on at once. Cars revving up engines at traffic lights, and skidding to a halt at the ones that denied them progress. The pavements were totally packed with people, some of them like her, boasting an inhumane appearance, all going to their various locations, work, school, friends, homes, shopping, not that Mina could differentiate who was going where.

Normally Mina loved the city. She loved being in the hustle and bustle of civilisation. She just enjoyed being around people and experiencing the noises and the rush of the city. It was exciting to her, something that was totally unlike where she lived. It was a, relatively speaking, quiet place, especially when compared to Tokyo's rush hour.

But today, she was here on a very simple mission. Gather things for her mother, and then go back home.

Maybe grab a milkshake. For personal consumption. Her mother was buying, after all. Her logic amusing her, Mina let out a small giggle. Once again, technicalities won the day!

This was what she'd be doing if Midori ever sent her a message, she remembered. It wasn't like they'd be going rock climbing or doing something extremely extravagant. They'd just be hanging out, like she'd claimed. She contemplated sending one first, to make sure that they each had the right number, and to provoke a response from the shy teenager, but decided against it, at least until she got home. Using her phone to send a text message while on this street was just asking to drop it and for it to shatter into about forty thousand pieces, and God damn it, she was not paying for another phone! She'd learned her lesson the last time.

Mina hummed along with her music as she dove into the nearest store that she saw that sold the things her mother was after. She wondered down the isles, occasionally glancing at her phone to double check the list. Various vegetables, random rices, and tasteless tins of instant food. The message very specifically asked for the kinds of instant food that tasted awful. Mina had to wonder if her mother hated her at that point, since she knew very well which kinds of instant foods her daughter absolutely adored. They weren't the same food, the brands were different! The good ones were like, a few Yen more expensive for a reason - Because they were actually good! Still, she resigned, and picked up the crappy knock-off garbage instant noodles, and threw them into the basket she had acquired.

"We're in for a party tonight." The girl muttered to herself. None of what she'd been bought looked particularly appetising. She knew that in middle school everyone complained about how awful the cafeteria food always was, but Mina never understood what they were talking about. The cafeteria food was awesome, especially compared to some of the awful recipes her mother tried to make! Yuuei's food was like a freakin' restaurant in comparison to whatever the hell required three capped containers of Wasabi sauce and half a shark's fin. Mina shuddered. She didn't think she'd be looking forward to going back to school more.

Mina loved her mother and all... But she couldn't stand her cooking. At least not after she decided that she wanted to try and be more, quote ' _adventurous_ ' with her meals.

She checked her phone once more, just making sure that she had gotten everything. Rice, soup, wasabi, a colourful collection of vegetables... Yep, that was everything. Every single worrying and disturbing item that was on the list...

Before she could put the device away, however, she felt her phone vibrate, and heard the small chime it gave once again. Another message. Absent-minded, she slid her finger across the touch screen to find her messages folder, expecting her father to be asking her to bring him back some sort of snack, or Micha, for God knew what.

Her surprise couldn't have been more apparent, nor pleasant, when she saw that it came from a contact marked in her phone as _'~Midori~'_. She couldn't help but smile. Halfway through the day, and he'd finally decided to message her? Took him long enough. Reading through his message, if it was possible to stutter via text, Mina was certain that the green haired boy had found it. As she read it, she put in the awkward pauses where he would put them in conversation almost automatically.

 _'H-Hi Ashido-San... This is your number, right? J-Just making certain.'_

How did he even manage that? How was it even possible to be awkward via text? Mina just laughed aloud, and quickly sent a reply back.

 _'Yep! It's me, Midori! What took you so long?'_

Quickly, she made her way to the checkout system, to pay for all of this food before someone could ask her to run an errand somewhere else in the city. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone else using the systems when she arrived, so she quickly threw her basket into the section reserved for them, tapped a few buttons on the touch screen, and scanned the items in with newfound vigour, tapping her foot in time with the new song that had just come up on her playlist, and humming happily again. Once she had deposited all the items into the bagging area, and paid for them, she felt her phone inform her of another message.

 _'I-I was sleeping... Recovery Girl told me to take it easy over the next few days, s-so I didn't want to over exert myself...'_ Sleeping in until well past noon. Not something that the pink girl would have expected from Midoriya.

That message made Mina pause for a second. Now that she thought about it, then it would actually make sense that he didn't want to injure himself any more than he already had done, and the best way to do that would be to avoid physical activity...

 _'Do you still want to hang out this weekend? It's fine if you don't want to, I'll understand._ ' She sent the text with a bit more of a somber feeling in her heart, and picked up the plastic bag filled with foods, making her way out of the store. Of course, she couldn't blame Midoriya for not wanting to break his bones again. If given the choice, she probably wouldn't want to either. But she wouldn't lie and say that she hadn't been looking forward to seeing him again come Saturday.

Making her way through the city, she was relieved to find that it seemed to have calmed down during the time she had been acquiring goods for her mother. The streets were still packed, but she could walk on the sidewalk without running into someone who was on their phone talking about their latest business rivals or whatever the heck they were on about.

She bit her lip lightly as she considered what to do next. Seeing as it looked like her mother was going to be making vomit soup for dinner tonight, she contemplated getting a quick snack or something now, to inevitably tide her over for the days meal. She decided against it though. She just wasn't hungry enough to justify it. Remembering that she had been eager for a milkshake not too long ago though, she decided that made a reasonable substitute, and made her way to the nearest location, which happened to be a personal favourite.

The place that she went to was a corner cafe-esq store that was run by only a small number of employees. The store was called Shake, and instead of giving their customers a small selection of drinks and beverages, along the wall behind the counter, were a huge variety of various sweets, chocolates, and the likes. They allowed their customers to choose a candy of some description, whereupon, using various bits of machinery, a few dollops of ice cream, and a blender, they would turn it into a milkshake for consumption. Perhaps aiding the fact that they sold so cheaply to boot, was the fact it was run by a tiny staff of college students.

Mina made her order, taking an adventurous dive into a flavour that she hadn't tried before. The person behind the counter, whom resembled a human crossed with an eagle of some description, took the order and passed it along to another store worker, whom began work on crafting the beverage immediately.

Crafting these drinks often took a few minutes, so Mina found herself a seat, many scattered around the room, thoughtfully provided by the staff there. Darting her eyes around the room with her trademark zeal, Mina found endless entertainment in what was plastered to the walls, from the posters of various specials the store was doing, to what she assumed was a personal favourite band of the group there, to ads and other such things that the store must have been hired to post, so she was certainly preoccupied while she waited. The interesting surroundings were just another reason why she enjoyed this store.

She'd only been sat down for a moment before her phone began to chime once again, and she knew it was Midoriya on the other end. Quicking scooping up her mobile device from her hoodie pocket, she did note that this message had come a lot later than the previous one had done.

What she read made her smile though. _'N-No... I'll be fine... I was actually thinking that maybe it would be a good idea for us to get to know one another a bit better. I- I mean, we're both trying to become Heroes, r-right? So it stands to reason that we might end up getting called to the same situation when we graduate and start answering calls around the place, so we'd need to be able to understand one another, right?'_

"Way to make dealing with me sound like a chore, Midori." Mina chuckled to herself. did he really have a one track mind when it came to becoming a Hero? He made himself seem obsessed... Still, it was hard to argue with his dedication, if nothing else.

 _'Yay! You wanna meet outside Yuuei, main gate, about 1-ish? We could catch a subway or whatever and find something fun to do!'_

 _'S-sounds good.'_ Still baffled by how he seemed to stutter even in text, Mina just smirked to herself. She'd have to make sure not to push him too much, but she could still see the two of them being able to have a lot of fun together. The social impulses of the Acid Quirk user bubbled up inside, leaving her looking forward to the weekend all the more. This was a good chance to get to know her classmate better. How couldn't she be excited?!

Her order was called up, and she raised her hand to take it, and managed to practically skip the way back home.

* * *

 **What I do wanna say to you guys is that the My Hero Academia fandom actually leaves some pretty damn solid feedback that I've been able to take into account. Me being comma heavy is kinda an OCD trait of mine, so I hope you can forgive that, sorry to those of you who it annoys. But this story got 350 reads at the time I'm updating this on FF. net, and while that's straight up pathetic in terms of the numbers you'd need to create a popular story, I'm having so much fun writing this, I simply don't care. This'll be a tight knit group of people who want to see this story for one of two reasons -1, You're like me, and want to see more of Mina, or 2, again, you're like me, and are genuinely interested in this ship. So, I'll do my best to create something you enjoy ^_^**

 **Micha in this story is basically a tribute to Volpine's story, since I'm way too lazy to conceptualize another older brother figure for Mina, since he already did the best job of one. So I'm calling it a tribute, but I'm basically ripping him off. Sorry dude ^_^'**

 **Hope you all enjoyed, and I hope I'll see you all again soon ^_^**


	3. Hang Out

**WARNING: Two characters will be appearing who we have never actually gotten names for. The two who buddied around with Bakugou during the first few chapters of the story. Since we don't know their names, using the same naming system Horikoshi uses, I made my own. Hope it fits.**

* * *

Having broken his bones so frequently in recent memory, Izuku had developed a small ritual for whenever he was able to toss aside the much hated castings that he had been enwrapped with so many times. It wasn't anything too extravagant. He didn't mark the occasion by lighting candles or playing music like some people might have done.

Really, all he did was sit at the kitchen table, and take off each casting independently, with his own hands. A symbol of the independence he would have to achieve in order to live up to the expectations All Might had set out for him. It might seem dumb to an outsider, but to Izuku, it meant the world to be able to free _himself_ of the castings.

While he struggled getting the first one loose, due to his other hand still being imprisoned by the casts, he managed to fumble his way into tearing off one of the straps, allowing the bandages around his right arm to fall off, making a small amount cluttering noise on the kitchen table, as some of the cutlery left over from the previous night remained there. Upon his arm finally being free, Izuku stretched out his dominant arm, feeling his joints click back together after being cramped together for such an extended period of time. Slight disfigurement caught his eye when he saw his right hand, a scar cut clearly across the back of the now crooked hand. It was a serviceable hand, still capable of making a fist, holding a pencil, throwing a baseball, and everything in-between, but appeal wise, it certainly wasn't going to win any awards.

That was the price he paid for going as far as he did against Todoroki. Izuku had no regrets about it. In time, he would forget that his hand was ever normal, and he'd grow used to the slightly wonky fingers, and the unseemly scar.

Getting the casting off his second arm was a far easier task now that he had access to a posable thumb. It never took him too long to do. Unwrapping and unlatching everything, the green haired boy let out a sigh of relief when his left arm could now join the rest of his body in the feeling of fresh, clean, oxygen rich air around them.

Next came the leg cast, which he had off in about a minute. With the functionality of having two hands, getting out of a leg brace wasn't a challenge, by any stretch of the imagination.

Each of his limbs free, Izuku decided to check to go through phase two of his little ceremony. Again, it wasn't anything incredible. All he did was walk over from the dining table to the fridge, testing to see how his leg was able to handle his body weight. Recovery Girl's Quirk truly was amazing, and no matter how common an occurrence it was for the boy to end up having said Quirk used on him, he'd never say anything less about it. The incredible ability had basically healed his leg once again. It had been enough to walk on for days, but the nurse had always been very insistent on him keeping on traditional castings, to help defend his vulnerable limbs.

He stretched off his leg, feeling the click once again. It was a lot rarer of an event for his legs to get broken, since he favoured using arms to fight, but during his final leap at his opponent, he'd shattered one of his legs. In hindsight, he wasn't going to get back up after that leap, even if he had somehow won. He hadn't really been thinking that plan all the way through. Although, that implied he was even working with a plan at that point, and he himself wasn't even sure that he was.

And finally, the last stage in his ceremony - Probably the most laughable part about this entire routine he put himself through - He reached for the fridge door, and retrieved one of the many bottles of water from within. It was all a ritual to acquire bottled water. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to do these things anyway, Izuku would have found it dramatic. Now, whenever he took off the castings that had kept him pinned for days, it felt natural and liberating to finally do something so trivial, so now he treated his ritual as his return to the world, to independence.

And to his own self inserted anxiety.

He'd agreed to meet with Ashido in just a few hours.

To be honest, he was still in a state of shock that the girl had asked him to meet with her so randomly. He'd not even begun to process the information being hurled at him before she'd turned heel and bolted out the train. His phone containing the girl's number, placed there herself, had been a jolt to the spine.

He was amazed at himself for even agreeing to go. He was more amazed that he actually wanted to go. He barely knew Ashido, but what little he did know of her indicated to her being a fun loving social person who he could talk to for hours about basically anything. He saw the energy she exhibited like someone saw steam from a kettle, and it was infectious. Being around her made Izuku take a keener interest in his surroundings, in the conversations he was involved in, and the people surrounding him. He knew that she was a friendly person, and he knew she had a pretty smile. A small blush painted its way across Izuku's cheeks as he remembered this fact.

These facts aside, he knew little about Ashido. And perhaps it was partly the reason why he actually wanted to go and ' _Hang out'_ with her. Of course, he'd rationalised it in his usual elaborate way, not that he was technically wrong. He and Ashido were both aiming to become Heroes, it stood to reason they'd be working together for the years to come, regardless of whatever Hero agency they ended up with. It would be valuable for the two of them to share a positive relationship, to understand one another, to minimise the risk to the people around them, and maximise their efficiency and teamwork. That was the correct answer to give...

But he would be lying if he said he wasn't curious anyway.

"Oh, Izuku, you already took your castings off?" His mother's voice interrupted the quiet veil of the room, shooting him straight out of his thinking, and causing him to nearly choke on the liquid that was currently making its way down the green haired boy's throat.

Sputtering and coughing for just a few seconds, Izuku managed to calm himself down. He needed to take a few breaths to refill his lungs. "Geez... You surprised me..."

His mother apologised, glancing at him with an amused look on her face, as she began to collect the castings that Izuku had just left casually tossed around the table area. Izuku felt a quick pang of guilt for not cleaning up after himself, and he began to offer to clear them up himself, when he realised something.

He hadn't actually mentioned Ashido to his mother in the slightest. For the most part, it had just slipped his mind entirely, and he hadn't even thought to tell her, instead focused on recovery, or reading what studying material he had available to him. Telling his mother about his plans for today had just totally nor occurred to him. He knew his mother would be worried about him, since he had only just removed the casts today, and she would prefer he remain at home and not go out alone. But, he'd promised Ashido he would meet with her, and he intended to keep that promise.

"U-Uh, Mom?" Izuku said, catching his mother's attention. He felt a small bead of sweat running from his forehead and down his cheek when his mother turned to face him with a soft smile, still with his medical bandages tucked under her arm. He still wanted to insist she give them to him to throw away, but at this point, she wasn't going to do that. He focused himself, however, on the actual statement he needed to make. "I uh, just thought I should probably mention, uh, I - I'm going out with a classmate today.

Understandably, and predictably, his mother's face fell at these words. His mother was a very lenient person, and she never liked to restrict Izuku's freedom unless she felt there was literally no other choice. She was very much aware that the healer at Yuuei was very talented and skilled, and while she had total faith her sons leg was fine now, her worried nature still dominated a lot of her feelings regarding the matters. "A-Are you sure that's a good idea, Izuku?"

"I should be okay... My leg feels fine now. I promised that I'd show up, and I don't want to cancel and seem rude..." He tried to make his voice sound as reassuring as he possibly could, to calm his mother's nerves. He knew her tendency to over-worry all too well.

Throwing the two-day-old supports into the garbage bin, his mother sighed, and nodded. "Be sure to be safe, okay?"

"I will be, don't worry." He gave her a smile, a comforting tug on the lips that he always gave her when trying to convince her that everything would be okay. He'd given her the same smile when he had left to take the entry exam for Yuuei, and the when he'd left the morning of the Sports Day Festival.

"So, who is it that you're meeting with? Anyone I know?"

Izuku shook his head. "Uh, no, I don't think so. Her name's Ashido-san." The inheritor of One For All suddenly couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the look his mother suddenly gave him. A look of pure shock and something else he couldn't quite recognise that he assumed to be confusion.

Of course, he'd never once mentioned Ashido-san to her, so confusion was understandable. He'd mentioned Iida and Uraraka many times, so she at least had an idea of who they were, but Ashido was a total unknown.

"M-Maybe you saw her throughout the Sports Festival broadcast." Izuku suggested, quickly running through the various appearance. "U-Uh, she has pink skin, and hair, sorta curly, a bit like mine." As he said this, he pointed at each one of the areas he was describing on his own body. When he mentioned her pink skin colour, he ran his fingers along his cheek, and when he mentioned her hair, he flicked a tuft of his own away from his left eye.

With no change in response from his mother, he kept going. "Uh, black eyes?" He pointed at his own wide eyes, his sclera white, and his iris green. No reaction. "Horns?" For this, he grabbed two handfuls of his mess of a hairdo, and shaped them in as close a manner as he could get to resemble Ashido's horns.

At this point, his mother's eyes began tearing up. And at the exact same moment, Izuku suddenly understood what was going through her head.

His face exploded in a dark shade of scarlet, and he began to wave his arms in front of his face as quickly as they would physically go. "N-No, no no no no no no no no no no no, I-It's It - It - It - It's not - It's nothing like that! She - She just a-asked me if I wanted to go out - N-not like a d-date go out - A-and I thought it would m-make sense since we're both t-trying to be Heroes! I - I barely know her!"

Steam could practically be seen rising from the stuttering boy's skin as his body temperature begun to skyrocket at the mere implications. At no point previously had his mind even drifted towards that way of thinking. Now that it had entered though, he couldn't get that idea out of his head...

* * *

...Which certainly didn't help when he had made his way to the Yuuei campus where he was to meet the pink girl.

He had eaten a small amount of food and had a shower, during which he needed cold water desperately to cool him down with. His appetite had been totally shattered by his mother's overactive imagination, so he'd barely eaten more than a couple of spoonfuls of cereal before he was convinced that if he ate any more, his stomach would explode.

His journey through the subway had helped him steel himself and calm himself down a bit more. He'd shoved the ideas to the back of his mind, and was determined to not let them creep back into the rest of his head for the rest of the day. If he'd managed to do that with Uraraka for the past few weeks, he could sure as hell manage it with Ashido for a day, right?

As it turned out, he'd actually arrived a bit ahead of schedule, and as such, Ashido wasn't anywhere to be seen. Izuku made his way to the front gate, where they had agreed to meet. Time had been spent over the last few days repairing said gate from the effects of someone who had a Quirk that let them destroy a reinforced steel barrier - Probably that guy from the USJ, right? - So excluding a few leftover work-tools, the gate was pretty much back to normal. It was up, as it always was during the weekends, and even Izuku's student ID wouldn't help him get access. Safety reasons.

The campus that he was outside of seemed to loom over him. When the school was open, and there were people going to and from, busy and working, the site seemed to exciting, so interesting, and it reminded Izuku what a privilege it was to be able to attend such a well renowned school, and made him thankful for every second of hard work he'd put in with All Might to achieve his dream of attending this famous institute. But without his uniform, without anyone being here, and being surrounded in total silence, the walls that surrounded the school seemed larger, and the huge building seemed impossible to get to. It suddenly intimidated Izuku, and reminded him that this was the place the legendary Heroes of modern society went to be moulded into the people they are now. Someone without a Quirk would have no chance here...

Izuku, by default, shouldn't have had a chance here.

At times, the green haired boy felt like he was lying, every second he spent in this school, felt like he was spitting at the examinees he'd beaten for his place here. People who had been born with their powers, who had done everything they could have done to get a place at Yuuei. Those who didn't have All Might as their personal trainer, and those who hadn't inherited what could possibly be the strongest Quirk on the planet.

He knew that he'd earned his place here, fair and square, and he would never let anyone tell him otherwise. He'd refused to let Kacchan even try to take this lifelong dream from him, even when he'd pinned him to a wall in an alleyway and burned a hole straight through his middle school uniform. He had earned this. This was his.

But it didn't stop him from feeling that anyone else - Literally anyone else - who had One For All could have made the cut. It almost felt like he was cheating.

He sighed, the green and black jacket he'd put on began to catch wind, and his hair began to join it in dancing alongside the sudden gust of air that was pushing against him. What the heck had brought along this thought process? Wasn't he here for -

"Midori!"

For the second time that day, Izuku was thrown out of his own thought bubble, and the rest of the world suddenly realigned itself. The walls around the Hero school suddenly shrunk, and the wind came to a screeching halt.

Izuku threw himself around and saw his classmate stood about half a meter away from him, with her eyes closed and her grin huge, showcasing her white teeth while she gave him the traditional Ashido smile. "A-Ashido-san!"

"Sorry I'm a little late. My brother hid my phone from me again. Didn't you get the message I sent you?" Her voice was full of cheer and excitement, and as she spoke, she seemed to rise onto her toes, and then back down onto her heels again, making her look like she was bouncing on the spot.

"A message?" Izuku quickly reached for his mobile phone, and unlocked the device. There, awaiting him, was a short text, filled with abbreviations and emoji's from the girl stood in front of him. It took him a couple of seconds to translate before he fully understood what the message was saying.

 _'Sorry, Midori. I might be a bit late. My brother is a pain. I'll be there ASAP.'_ At the end of the message, was a less than three symbol, and a number three just right of it. The combination of symbols for a loveheart.

Of course, the addition of the love heart caused everything Izuku thought he'd pushed to the back of his mind to burst right back into every aspect of his brain. Rational logic told him that Ashido was the sort of person who would send that to basically everyone she knew, and to calm the hell down, and Izuku heavily agreed with it, but irrationality outvoted both of them, and refused to let the Yuuei student calm down. A blush made its way onto his face once again, leaving him to figure out the rest. "O-Oh, it - its fine, d-don't worry about it!"

"You seem nervous." Ashido tilted her head slightly, and seemed to shift all her weight onto her left leg. She gave him a quizzical look, like she was trying to figure out what was going through her classmates head. She reached out and tapped his skull with her knuckles lightly, so as not to hurt him. "You didn't hurt your head against Todoroki, did you?"

"N-No!" Izuku shot his head out of Ashido's reach, and attempted to steel his nerves. 'Calm. Down. Izuku.' He took a deep breath and sighed. "S-Sorry... You just surprised me. I was um... Kind of lost in thought."

What had become a worried expression suddenly melted, replaced with another soft smile on Ashido's face. "Ah. My bad then, ehehe." She chuckled to herself. It was only now that Izuku took note of what it was that Ashido had chosen to wear.

For her torso, she had selected a black short sleeved t-shirt, which had giant, bold, pink writing that covered her chest which read 'Acid'. The shirt was a fairly loose article of clothing, exposing a fair amount of skin from the neck down, showing at least one collarbone. The neck hole seemed to lop to one side than the other, showing a fluorescent red strap, which Izuku dared not stare at for too long, or question what piece of clothing it was owned by. The shirt seemed to expose a large amount of her biceps, barely even going up to her shoulders at all. Wrapped around her waist, was a hoodie, grey in its colour, which she had brought for in case the weather took a turn for the worse. Additionally, a pair of jean-shorts that only went about halfway down her thoughts before cutting off far earlier than her school skirt would ever allow. A pair of long, black socks that reached just halfway up her lower leg covered her up a bit, but not by much. Lodged in her pocket was her phone. The only reason the boy was able to identify this was by observing a set of white earphones that left the pocket, and found themselves wrapped around the back of Ashido's exposed neck. Looking between the two of them now, Izuku, who had come in his usual green and black hoodie and a set of dark grey jeans, now seemed heavily overdressed. Or, Ashido seemed seriously underdressed, depending on your perspective.

He knew Ashido was very casual when it came to her clothing - She was one of the only people who completely disregarded Yuuei's grey jacket and tie whenever she could get away with it - but this was a whole new level! Did she always dress like this?!

"So, we gonna stand here all day, or are we gonna go do stuff?" The girl suddenly asked, having walked past Izuku and making her way into the city, with a happy spring into her step as she put each foot in front of the other.

Izuku couldn't stop himself from letting out a half happy, half embarrassed sigh. This was looking to be a long day... But not one he could say he was regretting signed up for.

* * *

One thing he had to give Ashido due credit for, was the sheer variety of places that she knew around Tokyo. Izuku had lived in this city for his entire life, even if he was in the more residential area, but Ashido was taking him to areas he never even knew existed. He'd been to the Nakano ward of the city before, but only fleetingly, while Ashido seemed to know everything about this ward inside and out. He had to wonder, just exactly how much time did she spend just wondering around the city, and getting her bearings on where everything was. Her zeal proved to have a practical use after all.

Both of them had managed to engage in conversation once again, with Izuku managing to formulate sentences without tripping over and biting his own tongue. He was able to keep his stuttering to a minimum as the two of them spoke and explored. It was like they had talked on the train ride a few days ago, only with far more broad a pallet of conversational subjects.

Ashido brought up the subject of his arms and his leg, which he assured her were perfectly fine, if slightly numb, even now. Normally, he never wanted to mention the ritual he acted out each time he got rid of those castings and bandages, but with Ashido, he was able to casually talk about it, and smile when Ashido found herself unable to control her laughter. Not laughter directed at him, but rather, with him. He couldn't even help himself chuckling at the absurdity that was his casting ritual. Ashido shared a few things about her home life, including her many siblings, and their unending quest to piss her off. Izuku mentioned that he'd often wondered what life would be like with an older or younger sibling, to which his classmate assured him that it would be far, far more difficult. Eventually, they were able to toss questions back and forth, answering appropriately, and laughing at the various silly traits the other one had.

One such question Izuku found himself asking was just how Ashido even knew about what there was to do in the Nakano ward. He brought it up casually, to fill in a lull in the conversation, as Ashido attempted to recall her way throughout this particular section of the city. Both were at down on a bench out of the way of the passing commuters, when he asked.

"I just sort of wondered in here one day and found all this cool stuff." It was a blunt but totally honest answer, and one Izuku couldn't say he hadn't seen jumped slightly when Ashido suddenly slammed her first into her open left palm. "Ooh, I know!"

"Wh - What is it?"

"There's one of those old school style arcades not far from here, I have an idea!" Before her classmate could question further, Ashido had grabbed hold of his wrist and was leading him through the crowded streets, and skilfully navigating their way through the hundreds upon hundreds of passers-by, somehow not managing to crash into one of them.

Izuku had barely even had time to figure out that he was being dragged along before he suddenly found himself overwhelmed by loud noises, colourful lights, and blaring music. He almost felt like he was going to become, deaf, blind, and photosensitive epileptic all at once. Filling the room were old arcade machines, and a few slightly newer ones, but none of them were any younger than twenty years old, at the very least. Home entertainment systems had practically killed arcade machines, so it surprised Izuku that this place even existed. He couldn't deny his impress at the sheer number of the old devices here. Some were imported from American or German developers, and had terrible Japanese translations that bordered from functionally bad to downright hilariously awful.

He'd only managed to come to his senses when he found himself being placed in front of a two-player machine, that had two fairly large plastic guns in a metallic holster, located on his right hand side, Ashido on his left. The game that she had apparently selected for them was called, _'Time Bandits 2_ ', a game the student had never even heard of.

"Challenge!" Ashido declared, her fist suddenly punching the air above her, and a grin on her face that gave Izuku a bad feeling about this game.

"Wh - What?"

"Person who gets the most points wins! The winner gets to make the loser do something, whatever the winners wants, just so long as it isn't dirty, 'kay?" She winked at Izuku, which sent the boy into a red mess.

"Y-you're kidding, right? I - I don't even know how this thing works!"

"Haven't you been to an arcade before, Midori?"

He hadn't. This was the first time he'd even come to such a place, and he had absolutely no idea how this sort of device even worked. He'd played a few video games, sure, but he wasn't exactly an active gamer. He'd play a few on his computer at home occasionally, but predictably, nearly all of them were Hero themed. He shook his head, indicating that he'd never done so before.

"It's easy. I'll explain it to ya." The pink girl pulled out the make-believe weapon from Izuku's side of the machine, a plastic assault rifle, modelled after the American M16, and threw it at him. "Catch!"

He tried, but instead, what should have been a smooth grab, ended up being him missing the weapon at the last second, and awkwardly bringing the gun into a hug, the butt of the rifle smacking him in the face. Ashido just laughed.

Izuku fumbled with the device, until he was holding it the right way, the shoulder guard pressed against his right shoulder, his finger around the trigger, and his left hand on the grip holder that was located further down the body of the weapon. "Okay, its real easy, Midori. Just point at the guy you wanna shoot and pull the trigger on your gun."

That sounded simple enough. The machine used motion detection software to track the movements of the rifle, and the trigger acted like a mouse button on a computer did, each pulling of the trigger being the equivalent to clicking the left mouse button to open up a new page. "Okay..."

"Okay, now, you see the metal bar by your feet?"

Looking down, Izuku saw what Ashido was referring to. It was a rectangular slab of metal with a foot inscription placed on it, shaped like that of a shoe. Multiple scratches across it indicated that the device had seen plenty of use over the course of its life. "Yeah?"

"You push on that with your foot to take cover. Take your foot off again to come out of cover. You avoid damage by taking cover, and the less damage you take, the more points you get. Got it?"

"I think so?..." It sounded a lot more like a question than it did confirmation that Izuku had even the slightest idea what he was doing. It sounded simple enough, but for someone who barely even knew about video games, it might as well have been spoken to him terribly cheesy English that the game was apparently written in.

Ashido inserted a few coins into the machine, and the starting screen faded and begun to play a small cinematic for a few seconds. From what little he was seeing, apparently the story was about either a drug cartel, a paramilitary, or a terrorist group, he honestly could not tell what they were supposed to be. Halfway through a line of dialogue though, Ashido mist have gotten bored and triggered the cut to gameplay. They'd suddenly gone from being in a warehouse to brightly coloured people shooting at them in the streets, and a car was being thrown at the two players! _What was happening right now?!_ His floor slammed on the cover bar so hard for a second he thought he'd broken it.

Ashido was already racking up points, and lighting up pretty much anything that came up on screen! She was letting out a continuous yell, alongside a grin. She didn't seem to think much in terms of making her character take cover, instead relying on speed and her impressive reflexes to just batter through basically anything that came at her. Tactics and actions that Izuku would expect from someone like Bakugou, but it seemed to be working here.

Not wanting to lose the challenge that Ashido had declared, Izuku ran through what little he knew about the game. Point the gun at the enemies on the screen, and pull the trigger of the device in his hands. Avoid taking damage, and keep your score maximised.

He took his foot off the pedal, and took a few shots at the nearest target. All of them completely missed, but it gave him a better idea on the sort of accuracy that the weapons had. They were slightly skewered in terms of their line of sight, which made the shots lean to the right by about three centimetres. This information gathered, Izuku slammed his foot on the cover bar again to avoid taking damage.

By the time he'd done this, the camera of the game began to pan out onto the next area. Ashido had totally cleared the zone on her own! Her points were well over a thousand, while Izuku was still firmly on zero points! At this rate, he was bound to lose!

Deciding that he had to take action, he began to jump out of cover more and more, taking shots at whoever he could see, only firing off a few rounds before he ducked down again. His points began to slowly rise, catching up with Ashido's steadily.

All of a sudden, half of the screen became blood red, and a countdown timer began to count backwards from ten.

"Damn!" Ashido muttered, and slammed the start button again with her other hand. Izuku quickly realised that she had taken too much damage and her character had run out of lives. This resulted in a point penalty, which cut her score in half.

Their game continued like this for some time, Izuku playing tactically and being smart about what he did and when, only firing in short bursts to avoid taking too much damage, while Ashido was just going full on Rambo, and kept losing all of the lives that they shared. When Izuku finally took too much damage, he wasn't able to revive his character, since Ashido had used up all five lives that they had.

The final result revealed that, despite never having used one of these machines in his life, Izuku had won, by about two and a half thousand points. He was as surprised as Ashido was, his mouth dropping when he realised that he'd utterly crushed her score, and then some. His score even got onto the leader boards, placing in at rank seven.

"Damn, nice work, Midori." Ashido whistled. "Didn't expect that from you."

"Did - Did you pick this game because you thought you'd have a home field advantage or something?" Izuku questioned as he placed the device back into its place. A sly look from Ashido confirmed that she had indeed chosen the game expecting to utterly obliterate the awkward teenager. "That's a little... Dishonest."

He made a tone that couldn't decide if it was disappointed in Ashido's craftiness, or amusement that he'd beaten her at her own game. Despite the ulterior motive for having picked this game, he wouldn't deny that he'd had a ton of fun. For one of the first times in his life, he didn't feel like weak, pathetic, Quirkless Deku. He was just having fun!

"Well, a deals a deal." Ashido said, stretching her arms forward. "You beat me, fair 'n square. What's your favour?"

Blinking twice, Izuku remembered the bet Ashido had declared, that he'd never actually agreed to. He'd managed to forget about it during the rush of gameplay they had experienced. Since he was victorious, according to the rules set by his classmate, he had the power to ask Ashido to do one thing that she'd have to comply with.

He had an idea on what he'd want... But was unsure to ask of it. Was it really fair to ask her? Izuku was the kind of person who disliked the prospect of causing inconvenience to other people wherever he could help it, so a big part of him didn't want to ask... But...

"...So... You have to do whatever I ask?"

"Just so long as you don't plan on taking advantage of me~"

Ignoring her comment, he bit his lower lip lightly. "I kinda wanna -"

Before he could finish the statement he was making, both the ground and the floor began to shake, like an earthquake was going off, but to a far more limited degree. Lights dimmed and brightened periodically, and the metallic clanking of the decades old machines could be heard, as multiple people attempted to duck and cover. The sudden vibrations throughout the ground caught both the Yuuei totally unaware, and both of them lost their balance. Izuku was able to catch hold of the arcade machine that they had just been playing on to stop his fall, whereas Ashido was less lucky, and wound up being knocked straight onto the floor.

"Ashido-san!" Izuku disregarded the tremors, although they were now less violent than they had been just a few seconds ago, and went to help Ashido up, grabbing her hand and pulling her upright. "Are you alright?!"

"I think so... Was that an earthquake?"

"I don't think so, they normally last longer..." The formerly Quirkless boy disagreed with the suggestion of the pink girl. He took his hand from hers and bit down on his lower lip as he contemplated what possibilities existed. An earthquake was illogical since, by Tokyo standards, it was incredibly tame, and lasted such a short frame of time, and he outlined construction work because they would have had to inform any people or establishments about the tremors so that they could warn their customers. Therefore... "I think it might have been recoil from an impact of some kind!" As he spoke, he was already making his way out the door to the arcade corner, wanting to get a better look at the effects that the quake had had on the streets.

A scene not abnormal to Tokyo, but still a concerning one, awaited Izuku and Ashido once they threw the doors to the games corner aside.

In their society, people who had no idea how to control their Quirks, the mentally unstable, or just the plain crazy, would occasionally lash out at their fellow citizens, causing untold damage to the city and the population. This was just another example of a person letting loose with their powers, not at all an uncommon thing in the country's capital city. This one was a bit different however.

Izuku recognised the aggressor.

That day that he and Ashido had been on the train together, he had been casually browsing his phones news application whenever there was a lull in the conversation. One of those articles had focused on a Villain who had eluded capture from the Heroes and Villain Custody Force due to a Quirk that made his body into grass, and allowed its user to control said plant life, extending his limbs and using them to enwrap objects around him, constrict them, and various other uses that such an unusual ability would allow. The media had taken to calling him 'Overgrow'.

And right now, he was going on an absolute rampage. For what reason that was, Izuku couldn't guess, but the reason wasn't important.

What was important was the fact a grass-man was totalling a street right in front of him and Ashido. That was the issue here.

The Villain had an eerie arrangement of dead grass, and bright, very much alive grass inter-winded and sticking out, creating one of the most terrifyingly creepy smiles that either of the students had ever seen. The limbs he had were flexible, and apparently incredibly strong, despite inherently having no muscle structure whatsoever, as he was able to lift a car into the air, and toss it aside like a toy rattle for a young child, and seem to have about as much difficulty as one. Said car wound up through the window of an apartment complex which was, hopefully, uninhabited at the current time. "Come and get me, Heroes!"

Either the guy was escaping Heroes, could not handle the power his Quirk gave him, or he was completely insane. Those were the only options Izuku was seeing here. There was one detail in this scene that lead the Hero admirer to the latter conclusions.

There wasn't a single Hero to be seen. Anywhere. Everyone was either running away in a blind panic, had already gotten away in the initial rush, was hiding, or was the Villain.

As far as Izuku could tell, the closest people to Heroes here...

Were him and Ashido.

"Midori!" Suddenly, Ashido's voice interrupted the analysing student, breaking him out of his observations. He could tell by the look on her face that she was uneasy about the current situation, which was understandable. Anyone who had no experience with Villains would be terrified, and rightly so. But they had. She wasn't scared, but uncomfortable. He'd pulled him behind a car, keeping them out of the line of sight of the destructive plant creature. "We should go, let the Pro's deal with this guy!"

A part of Izuku did agree. This guy in particular seemed to be in possession of an extraordinarily strong Quirk, and to top that off, he was just lashing out, which indicated towards mental instability, or Quirk mentality. Against someone like this, their chances weren't exactly great. Not to mention, without an official source allowing them to act, they could be tried as criminals for acting outside the law. But the bigger part of the green haired altruist refused.

"There aren't any Pro's nearby, and I don't think they're gonna be able to get here before this guy hurts someone." Finding his hand had already made a fist, he realised that once again, this was a case of his body having made the move before his brain had even sent the signal to it. He'd already had his course planned out before he'd even thought of a plan. He slipped himself out of his jacket, tossing it to the side of the pavement where it hopefully wouldn't get damaged.

"What're you, suggesting we do something about this?!" Shock evident in the girl's voice, mixed with disbelief, and just a hint of admiration. "H-How the heck would we even do anything?!"

"His body's made up of grass, and plant life..." As Izuku said this, the Villain Overgrow lashed out at a nearby gaggle of civilians, just narrowly scratching one of them with a blade of grass that could be called his left hand. "His body constricts, and lets him extend up to ten meters... In the moments his body's extended, the rest of his body is acting like a spring, straining meet the requirements to allow the body to stretch the way it does... If there was an additional force applied to that spring, or something weakened the body, it wouldn't be able to hold its form. It'd either try... Or it would snap." He muttered basic physics to himself as he revised what his options were. He had One For All, and Ashido had her Acid. He had a plan, but... "Ashido," In the heat of the situation, he completely forgot to add the 'san' to the end of her name, "I have an idea, but I need you to help."

"Just tell me what you need. I trust you." Ashido nodded, letting him know that she was ready to help him out.

"If I use my Quirk, there's a huge risk I'll damage myself. Since this guy has a plant-like body, any damage I do to that state could be absorbed, or he could at least negate most of it. So I'd be out of commission and I wouldn't have been able to do anything." The sound if another car shattering into another window, this one far closer to their location, made Izuku press the matter faster. "I need you to hit the guy with your Acid - As much as you can! Doesn't matter where, I just need you to weaken him! Once you do that, I should be able to hit him and make it count!"

"Okay!" There wasn't any hesitation in her voice, nor way there any worry. She meant it. She trusted Izuku. She trusted that this plan would work, because from what she'd seen, and what she knew of him, he wouldn't let her down. She built up acid in her palms, small droplets dripping from his fingers and eroding into the tarmac road.

Plan ready, and the pieces put together, Izuku peeked at the grass Villain, who he found himself referring to by his media name in his head. Overgrow was smashing a hole into a wall of some description, belonging to what looked to be an advertising company. 'Insane then. Alright...' Regardless of that, he was distracted. It was a good time to attack!

"Okay, Ashido! Quickly, go now!"

Despite what her appearance may deceive someone to think, Ashido was, in actuality, rather fast on her feet, even without the use of her Quirk. Her legs were toned, a clear result of her hours upon hours of exploring every nook and cranny of everything around her with her contagious enthusiasm and curiosity. Combine that with her ability to utilise her acid in a manner similar to that of ice skating, and she could take off like a bullet, even without a running start. She'd kicked off the shoes and socks she'd worn, and made a beeline straight for Overgrow, her arm practically covered in her highly corrosive liquids.

Unfortunately, she wasn't in the least bit camouflaged. Her clothing helped, but bright pink against the greys of the urban landscape did nothing but contrast, making her incredibly easy to spot to someone with even limited peripheral vision. Overgrow spotted her coming about three seconds after she'd darted out of cover. Since her Quirk was equally as unsubtle, the Villain was quickly able to deduce her goal. He wasn't mentally stable, but that didn't make him stupid by any stretch of the imagination. "Not happening, Pinky!"

"Ashido!" Izuku called out, already running out of cover to follow her. "On your right!"

Reflexes akin to a cat, Ashido's eyes shot in the called direction, to see three separate vines, all dark green in their colouring, approaching her at high speeds. The girl reacted quickly, her arm throwing an uppercut filled with acid at the vines. Upon contact, they withered away and died, dissolving into nothingness.

Not that the barrage ended with those three. Next up came a salvo from up front, with more vines coming each with a different target - One for the head, another for the arm, and two for each of her legs. It was now a display of skill for Ashido, whom ducked deep when one came swinging for her head, and skidded right underneath it like a high speed game of limbo. Skiing left, she avoided a swipe for her arm, and then leaped up high, avoiding the collective four vines trying to trip her up, and as she gained height, she managed to use her momentum to perform a backflip mid-air, while still building up a concentration of growingly corrosive acid.

Izuku had to give full credit - That was incredible.

Her hand was now full of the dangerous substance her body secreted from her skin, and as she fell, she threw the acid at Overgrow, at the fullest force her body could muster. Her hit ended up injuring the main meet up point of all the grass, so it had to be the body. The reaction she got from the Villain made her grin in satisfaction, for a few brief, glorious seconds. "Guuuh! You little bitch!"

Those short but sweet moments were cut short by a vine striking out, slamming itself right into Ashido's stomach with the force of a baseball bat. The strike knocked the air right out of her, causing her to gag, before being propelled down the street, tossed aside like a rag-doll.

"Ashido!" Izuku wanted to stop charging, to activate One For All, to spring to grab her, and to make sure she was okay, but he knew unless he fulfilled his part of the plan, their efforts would have been an absolute waste. She'd cleared the path for him, she'd done her job, more than he could have asked her to do. He had to make sure that this work didn't go to waste.

Moving as fast as his legs would allow him to, Izuku darted past the vines that attempted to rectify themselves, to no avail. He followed the acid trail Ashido had left for him, even leaving him a cleaned route to follow, before he would up right next to Overgrow, the rampaging madman not noticing him until it was too late to do anything about the boy. "Damn!"

The power began to surge straight through Izuku's body, the feeling of eight wielders of this awesome power adding their own strength into the mix, combined with his own physical prowess, run straight through the veins of his left arm. The sheer power tore apart the left side of his t-shirt, causing a huge tear from his arm hole to his neck hole, revealing his impressive array of muscles.

No time to focus in on his finger. This was all or nothing.

' _Remember the adhesion test_!' His brain screamed at him. ' _Remember the egg in the microwave! Put the two together, and you'll get.._.' He steeled himself, his open palm reaching, reaching... And by just a hair, he felt his middle finger, his longest finger, press against the grassy body of Overgrow. ' _Now_!'

"Oregon..." His arm was now straining against the distance between him and his limb as he took a step forward. With a final yell, he swing him arm around, like he was throwing a hook, only with an open hand. "... _Smash_!" Izuku roared the name of the technique he used, mimicking All Might to a rather accurate degree, and forced every inch of the power he could muster to expel from his hand, and send a ginormous shockwave into the Villains body.

The grassy body was not dealt to deal with such sheer power from such a Quirk. With his body weakened thanks to the effects of Ashido's Quirk, the spring analogy came full in its entirety, as the body that Overgrow had simply could not withstand the impact.

Much like a spring, his body snapped, and exploded, sending mulch and compost like remains everywhere, along the roads, stuck to the sides of buildings, and the grassy limbs that once made up Overgrow's main attacking methods slumped down, leaving Izuku the only one standing.

It stung, but Izuku's arm hadn't broken, and how this was, he couldn't even begin to guess. The first time had been at the USJ, and it had happened again against Todoroki, and now here...

He didn't focus on this fact for too long, only noticing it when a gust of cold wind shot up the left side of his body. One of the green haired boy's favourite shirts now was essentially ripped in two, but he didn't care right now. He looked around rapidly, before he spotted the girl he was supposed to be here with. "Ashido-san!"

She'd propped herself up against a wall, clutching her stomach. She was winded, but there wasn't anything majorly wrong with her. Looking at her classmate, she was able to smile, and give him a breathless thumbs up. ' _Knew you'd win, Midori.'_

Izuku skidded to a halt next to her, to see what was wrong with her, the concern for her clear in the actions he took, the ways his face was, and how gentle he was when he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Ashido-san, are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine, Midori... Just... A little.. Hard to breathe right now..." She struggled to keep up her chipper attitude, but she did so with a brave face indeed, still showing a pained grin.

What was a surprise to her, and she made sure she took note of it, because hot _damn_ \- was that Midori was freaking well built! With his shirt half destroyed, she was able to glimpse at about half his torso and chest since he hadn't bothered to cover them up before making his way over here. She knew that he was stronger than he appeared, and while she accepted that, she had no idea that he was this well-toned! He was freaking _ripped_! The sheer number of muscles that he had, and that he somehow still managed to look so innocent, so universally bland otherwise... It marked the first time all day Ashido had genuinely blushed. "I-I just need a minute..." She took advantage to sketch the image of this into her mind, because holy _crap_ , was this something she needed to remember, if only to remember what the physical personification of contrast was.

As the two spoke, Izuku trying to help Ashido to her feet, and Ashido still trying to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen, they hardly paid any attention to the remains of Overgrow, the dirt, the compost, and the grass, all moving, recollecting itself into one pile, not too far away from the location of the young students. Small bit by bit, the Villain's body began to repair itself, each segment coming back to life with each chunk of mud and dirt that joined the amalgamation of grass and compost.

Neither of them noticed before they were in a position to not do anything about it.

"You sure you're alright?" Izuku asked as he and Ashido walked, allowing her to have her arm wrapped around his neck to use as support. Normally, this would have embarrassed him to no end, but with the adrenaline still pumping, he was numbed to it, instead focusing in getting a regular breathing pace going again.

"I'm fine... Don't worry." Ashido told him for the third time with a small laugh, amused by the concern he was showing.

"You should worry!"

The rebuilt corpse of Overgrow burst from its hiding spot, having fully repaired the damage previously done to it. The Quirk Overgrow had was called Compost, which allowed his body to act in a way similar to that of a sentient pile of said Quirk, including the ability to not be defeated by simply being shredded apart.

Now, he towered above Izuku and Ashido, his body fixed, and his weapons primed, he came crashing down upon them, ready to rip them apart, limb from limb. The pair looked on in abject horror when they saw the incoming attack, with no way of dodging, or getting out of the way, or countering in time anymore - Overgrow was in just too close! "What now, you little bastards?!"

Had he been one second earlier, he would have crushed the two of them.

"Lacquered Chains Prison!"

A split second later, a huge slab of perfectly refined wood began to entrap Overgrow, suddenly bursting out from each and every direction around the Plant Type Quirk user. "No!"

Shooting his vines in all directions, hoping to make some sort of escape, was a desperate last bid for freedom, but not one that proved to be fruitful in the slightest. The vines were utterly crushed, stopping any prayer that they had of grappling the now totally trapped Villain away to safety.

"Unauthorised use of Quirk during the work hours, endangering of civilians, and huge damage to public property." A Hero Izuku recognised, who he would have previously begun to gush over, revealed himself from behind the newly created wooden prison. Kamui Woods, the young, and relatively new Hero who had already built up a huge name for himself for his tenacity and dedication to the public good when Izuku first saw him in action. Over the past year, he had continued to cement his name in the minds of the citizens of Tokyo. He threw an insult to Overgrow while he was trapped. "You make me feel disgusted at myself for even sharing a Plant Type Quirk with you."

Their knees weak from relief, Izuku and Ashido both collapsed to their knees once again. That had been close. Way, way too close. In spite of that, Ashido was able to laugh, while still letting tears of sheer relief roll down her cheeks. How she was able to keep her spirits so high amazed Izuku, who couldn't help but join her in her laughter.

"You two kids alright?" The Lumber Quirk user asked, as he separated his body from the prison he had made, leaving Overgrow to be taken away as soon as the Villain Custody Force arrived. Now, he would do damage control, and make sure the civilians around him were okay, starting with the two right in front of him.

"We're - we're fine, thank you!" Izuku would have bowed to show his gratitude, but had to settle with nodding his head, since he couldn't stand upright. Ashido gave a thumbs up to the Pro Hero, signifying her well-being.

Normally, Kamui would have left it at that, instructing them to vacate the area and seek medical attention if required. But he recognised Izuku, and was suddenly armed with a list of questioned as long as his Lumber Quirk would reach. "You again!..."

"H - Huh?!"

"You're that kid who ran at the Sludge Villain a year ago, aren't you? I would have thought you'd learned your lesson after that, but apparently you've started making a habit of it." Kamui would have torn into Izuku right then and there, berating him on how civilians, especially ones who lacked any power whatsoever, shouldn't be charging at Villains they would only endanger their lives against by trying to stop them, but this was before he noticed the tear in Izuku's shirt, the vary of muscles, and a slight bruise to his arm. "What happened to your arm? Were you injured?"

Izuku followed the Pro Hero's line of sight, and shook his head. "N - No! T - This is... This is from my own Quirk."

Kamui suddenly cocked a lodge of wood around his eye up, to look like he was raising a quizzical eyebrow at the stuttering boy. He had a very good memory, and he remembered the day that Izuku had charged at the Sludge Villain well. Though he had been on rescue duty, keeping the civilians safe from the flames let loose by Bakugou's Explosions, he had joined the other Heroes in berating Izuku for his foolhardiness, and he remembered what Izuku had answered when asked exactly. "I thought you said you didn't _have_ a Quirk?"

 _'Crap_!' Izuku shot a glance towards the classmate knelt by him, who was looking at him with a look he couldn't describe. Confusion? Intrigue? Damnation? Pity? He didn't know. But this was bad.

"I - I meant that I - I - I couldn't use my Q - Quirk, s - since if I did, I would - would have just injured myself! I - I didn't want you Heroes to have to worry about me being injured a - and in your way, e - even if I sort of was in your way anyway, but - "

"Okay, alright, okay." Kamui looked around the area, seeing the damage caused, not a single doubt that it was all caused by the Villain he had just imprisoned, judging by how many vines, blades of grass, and leaves covered the area of impact. Yet on closer inspection, he was able to see the effects of Ashido's Quirk, melted tarmac, droplets eroded holes around the place, and singed cars. Had these two not interfered, the damage could have been worse, and Kamui knew this perfectly well... "Technically I should be arresting both of you for acting without a Provisional License... But considering that the damage would have been worse if you didn't act, I'm willing to let this slide, but you should leave the area. Immediately. This is now a crime scene."

The warning to leave before more Pro Heroes or the police showed up came clear as crystal to both Izuku and Ashido, whom thanked the man quickly, and, once Izuku had run to grab his jacket so as not to be wandering the streets exposing half of his torso, dashed off into the crowds of Tokyo, blending in with the rest of society, whom would never know what they had just done, and how a Hero had let them get away with it.

* * *

There wasn't really a way to go back to normal after what they had just gone through an hour earlier. They'd tried to continue as they would have, Ashido showing Izuku a few more places around this particular section of the largest metropolitan city in the world, but the reality was, neither of them could get into it that much. After fighting a Villain, narrowly avoiding arrest because they ran into one of the few Pro's who would let them get away with it, everything else throughout the day felt just less. Less exciting. Less impressive. Just less.

To Ashido's credit, she still tried, announcing the names of stores and locations that could only be matched if fanfare was released each time she spoke. And Izuku did try to be enthusiastic, he listened to what she had to say about each store and sight, and he did whatever Ashido suggested... But neither of them could really muster the real energy for it.

By the time they had decided that maybe it was time to call it a day, it was about five in the afternoon. They'd spent a collective four hours together, and ran into the Villain by the second. At least it was an even split between genuine enjoyment and a forced march to try and go back to normal.

Both of them made their way to the subway station once again, where Ashido declared her intention to go with Izuku to his stop before catching the train from there back home. Their spirits raised a bit, they were able to at least laugh about the Villain encounter a little.

"Oregon Smash!" The pink girl loudly yelled, mimicking Izuku's move. To an outsider, she looked like an All Might admirer who wasn't afraid to flaunt her obsession with her idol, even if that wasn't the truth here. "Ha! You copied All Might for that move, didn't you!"

"I - I just thought it would work..." Izuku nervously laughed.

"Don't be modest, Midori! Even if you did steal All Might's move, it was still awesome!"

"I - I didn't steal it!"

"You sound defensive for someone who didn't steal anything!"

"I - !"

"No way. _Deku_?!"

Hearing that name, that demeaning name from anyone other than Uraraka, filled Izuku with dread, replacing the joy he was feeling. He recognised that voice, even if he hadn't heard it for a few months. He'd hoped he wouldn't hear it from any of those voices again, dealing with it from Bakugou was bad enough.

Turning his head to face them, sure enough, there the two of them were. Two of the worst culprits of his bullying throughout middle school.

Hitokura Kokeha, and Yuhando Kemuri. Both were dressed in the same school uniform, them both attending a school that was locally found around this ward of Tokyo. A step down to their goals of entering Yuuei. That was definitive. Their clothing was nearly all black, not too unlike their middle school ones. Hitokura's hair was still a black mess of a do, bordering curly and spiky at the same time, and from what little glance Izuku could get, his teeth still sharper than kitchen knives. Yuhando's blond, straight hair was still parted and both sides, keeping his lazy looking eyes clear, and his massively extended fingers still swayed side to side, as was his habit.

Both of them, along with Bakugou, had been the absolute hell of Izuku growing up. Had he lived an ideal life, Izuku would have never run into the two of them again, for as long as he lived, and even beyond that if possible.

"Holy crap, it _is_ Deku!" Yuhando was clearly as surprised as Hitokura was, his eyes wider than they normally were. He waved over to the green haired former classmate, in a manner that could even be considered friendly. "Hey, Deku, over here!"

Izuku shot glances between the two, and then to Ashido, who was looking confused, and rested her hand on her now cocked up hip. He didn't want this to become an issue, a concern, anything that involved Ashido in something that she didn't need to be involved in. He bit the bullet, swallowed hard, and made the most awkward motion that could be considered a wave he'd ever done in his life. "H-Hi guys!"

"They friends of yours?" Ashido asked.

"Old classmates." He replied. These people were in _no way_ his friends. Right now he was steeling himself for one of the most horrible encounters of the day. Could he go back to Overgrow? He'd prefer dealing with Overgrow.

Both the students walked over and proceeded to playfully punch Izuku's shoulders, which did make him very clearly flinch, but the action left him feeling very, very confused. Hitokura laughed, his Sharp Tooth Quirk making the sharp teeth Eijirou had look blunt in comparison. "Hah, still jumpy as ever, eh?"

"I - I guess so."

"You actually got into Yuuei with Bakugou, didn't you?" Yuhando inquired, one of his extended fingers going past Izuku's shoulder and pointing towards Ashido. "That where the girls from? I feel like I recognise her..."

"I'm right here, you know." Ashido responded, not impressed that she was just being completely overlooked in the conversation. Bad enough she hadn't been introduced, worse still that they hadn't thought to speak to her when she was right there. "Yes, I'm from Yuuei. Ashido Mina. I'm one of Midori's classmates."

"Midori?" Hitokura smirked at the nickname, and muttered something quietly to Izuku. "Damn, first you get into Yuuei, and next time we see you, you've got a girl? I underestimated you, Deku."

"That - That is not w - what this is!" Izuku insisted furiously, pushing past the two of his former classmates, convinced that this was some sort or plan to mess with him. "A - Ashido-san, if we don't hurry we're gonna miss our train!"

Although she honestly had no clue what was even going on anymore, she took the hint, and quickly made her way around the two teenagers and re-joining Izuku's side.

They would have been able to get away, and Izuku would have quickly begun answering any and all questions - Far away - that he knew Ashido would be armed with, if he hadn't been called back.

"Hey, Deku!"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

A pause. Izuku blinked twice, processing what he'd just heard Hitokura say to him. This actually caused him to turn a full one-hundred-and-eighty degrees to see the Sharp Tooth Quirk user with his head bowed, Yuhando'a also lowered in what he could only describe as shame.

"Wh-What?" Words weren't coming to Izuku's brain. Communication suddenly became lost to him, and he had no idea how to speak. "Wh-What for?"

"Middle school. Bakugou. I'm sorry. What we did wasn't right. We shouldn't have been such jerks to you just 'cause you were Quirkless. We saw you during the Sports Festival, and you were freaking awesome, and we're stuck in some garbage high school a few miles from here, while you're at Yuuei."

"Plus, your Quirk is awesome. I dunno why you wouldn't use it against us. I kinda wish you had done." Yuhando added on. "We were terrible to you. Really, we're sorry."

Maturity. A willingness to accept their faults, and a desire to apologise for what they had done made Izuku honestly forget everything that they had done to him. He just really, really, _really_ wished Ashido hadn't heard that. The look she gave him made him sweat buckets, and he stammered, bit his own tongue, and forced out whatever sentences he had to get this topic the hell out of her head. "It - It - It's totally fine! D-Don't worry a-about it, really! B-But we r-really do have to get going now! B-bye!" He grabbed Ashido by the wrist and began sprinting away from his former classmates, leaving them totally bewildered.

* * *

 _'I thought you didn't have a Quirk.'_

 _'We shouldn't have been such jerks to you just 'cause you were Quirkless.'_

These sentences rung though Mina's head, over and over and over, like a gong had just gone off in her head. Izuku hadn't spoken a single word since he'd grabbed her by the wrist and began to lead her away.

She knew something wasn't right. And she wanted to know what it was. But at the same time, she knew it wasn't her business. If Midoriya has things he wanted to keep secret, then it was his right to keep them secret... But... No. Mina wanted to know. she wanted to know why her friend was lying to her.

Waiting until there was no one around, Mina ripped her wrist from Izuku's grip. ' _This place will do.'_

"O - Oh! S-Sorry, Ashido-san, I-I've been dragging you all this time, huh? I-I'm really sorr-"

"Midoriya." Mina firmly stated his full name.

Izuku froze. What had happened to Midori?

"I didn't want to bring it up since I didn't think you were comfortable with the subject... But Midoriya, I need you to explain something to me."

"Wh-What?"

"Bakugou. Kamui. Those two people who you used to go to school with... Why did they all call you Quirkless? I mean, you clearly have a Quirk, and it's a freakin' incredible one!"

His eyes widened, and his heart slammed against his chest faster. ' _Crap_.'

"I can understand Kamui thinking you were Quirkless. Your reasons for not using your Quirk in that - Sludge monster thing? That's a whole other question - but that logic was solid. I never understood why Bakugou called you a ' _Quirkless Runt_ '. Every time someone even brings up your Quirk, he goes ballistic. But again, I accepted that because you'd know him for years. I just assumed you never showed him, and he thought your Quirk was just having six toes or something... But your old classmates... They apologised for bullying you ' _When you were Quirkless_ '?..." Looking at her now, Izuku could see that Mina wasn't judging him. She wasn't making fun of him. She was genuinely, honestly hurt. It looked like tears had been stung with the droplets of tears, shimmers once again in her black sclera, but this time, from sadness. What had caused such concern? Why did she care so much?... "And when I think about how strange your Quirk is, how it breaks you when you use it... How you avoid using it whenever you can, like it's a last resort... But how it sometimes works?... I... We're friends, aren't we, Midoriya?..."

He blushed lightly, but he nodded. He liked to think he was a friend to everyone in Class 1A. He wanted to be friends with everyone there. He was even fully prepared to be the shoulder Bakugou cried on if he ever needed it. He liked Ashido, and he did consider her to be a friend.

"Then please... What's going on?"

He could lie.

And he knew that really, he should lie to her. To insist that he'd just hidden his Quirk, that Bakugou was telling the truth when he said he'd hidden it from the Explosive boy, and every one of his classmates. To insist that his Quirk just naturally broke his bones, and that was why he didn't use it as leisurely as everyone else in their class did. To turn back around and walk away.

But he didn't want to.

Ashido was stood right there, and had asked him the question that no one else had, and was doing it with tears in her eyes, despite barely even knowing the guy. She was showing such real care for him, and wanted to know the truth about Midoriya Izuku.

She'd know he was lying if he did. And he doubted that she'd forgive him if he did. And part of him wanted to tell her. He was tired, tired of hiding this secret from other people, tired of having to lie about the origins of his power. He hated doing it. He felt dirty every single time he lied through his back teeth to his friends, to his mother, to every single person he met.

But he'd promised All Might. The person who this power belonged to. The person who had given him the ability to achieve the dreams that had been out of reach, unattainable, for so, so, so long" the man he admired and respected. His _Hero_.

And he wouldn't break that promise.

He found himself torn, between the man who was the symbol of what Izuku wanted to become, and the girl in front of him who was begging to know.

He couldn't tell her the truth... But he wouldn't lie to her either.

"...The truth is... When I applied for Yuuei... I did actually think I was Quirkless... In fact... No, I _was_ Quirkless." When Mina looked up at him, he continued. "That Sludge Villain was someone who had hijacked Kacchan's body... And I ran out to save him... But I didn't have any powers. No fire breath. No Telekinesis. No Acid. No Tail. No Explosions... No sixth toe... Just plain me. I hadn't felt a surge of my power in... My entire life. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to activate it... I was just... Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless Runt. When Kacchan calls me that... He wasn't wrong... Isn't wrong."

He'd thought he'd managed to get those ideas out of his head, that he'd earned his place at Yuuei, that he wasn't the Deku who was a punching bag... But he knew the real truth. That he wasn't there because of his own strength. He was only there because of his borrowed strength. Suddenly, his insecurities, his worries, his guilt they all came tumbling out before he could catch his jaw to stop them. "When the written test finished, and we started the Physical test... I didn't get a single Villain point. I couldn't. How could someone like me... Worthless 'Deku'... Even get a single point? You know how tough they were... But... I was in the same testing grounds as Uraraka... And she got stuck... Those huge things, the Zero pointers... One of them was gonna run her over.

And then... The next thing I knew, I was fifty feet in the air, with two broken legs and a broken arm, and the Zero pointet had a gaping hole in the front... That was... Is, the only reason they even let me into Yuuei."

Mina almost looked like she was about to what, Izuku couldn't tell. "Y-You're telling me... You actually applied to the biggest Hero Academy in the country, knowing how brutal that the entry exam was... When you were... Quirkless?..."

Izuku nodded, trying to weakly smile. "Kacchan, Aizawa-sensei... Even... Even All Might said that I shouldn't be at a Hero Academy... And... They... They're right." Tears were forming in Izuku's hyperactive ducts, particularly when he remembered how All Might had told him he hadn't thought he could be a Hero in their first meeting. Sure, he'd changed his mind about that, and bestowed his Quirk onto him to make it happen... But the memory of the initial rejection was still a wound in Izuku's mind. "I haven't had long to learn how my Quirk works... I was just lucky. Stupidly, stupidly lucky.."

"...Back there, with that Plant Villain... That was you, Midori." Mina told him, adding on her nickname for him again. "It doesn't matter how long you've had your Quirk... You're using it to help people. That's what we're learning to do, isn't it?..." She couldn't help but smile, and dry her eyes. "You went to apply for Yuuei even when you didn't think you had ny powers! You still wanted to try! That just... Incredible in itself!... You're gonna be a great Hero, Midori! You're gonna be the best!"

Hearing those kind words, Izuku lost it, and had to block his eyes from sight and allow his jacket to absorb the tears that would have rolled down his face. He hadn't even known Ashido for that long... And she was telling him the words he'd only ever heard from one other person. The words he longed to hear. He had to apologize for losing his composure in front of her, he quickly realized. "S-Sorry... Ashido-san, sorry..."

Mina shook her head and smiled. "I guess it explains why you wound up being so timid with a Quirk like that." She waited for him to compose himself, and suggested that they made their way to the train station, so Izuku wouldn't have to awkwardly stand staring at her with red eyes. "That reminds me, actually, Midori... You never told me what your favor was."

"My - My what?"

"For winning the challenge at the arcade. We got interrupted by that Villain before you could tell me what you wanted from me."

Izuku sniffled and blinked. He'd totally forgotten about that. Originally, his favour had been to play another game with her, since he'd been enjoying himself to much during that session, but that moment had long since passed... But it didn't take him long to think of another.

"O-Oh... Um... I know!"

"Go for it."

"M-My favour... I... I want us to do this again sometime. I-I had.., A lot of fun today... A-And I'd like to keep doing that..."

Mina just smirked, and faced forward, away from Izuku.

"I-If you're... Okay... W-with that I mean. I-I don't want to inconvenience you, Ashido-san s-so if you don't want - "

" _Wellllllll_ , I don't have a choice, do I?" Mina giggled to herself, playfully punching Izuku's shoulder. "Sure, we can do this again. We kind of got our day interrupted earlier, didn't we?" Not even bothering to keep it a secret, Mina was so happy to heard her friend's request, she would have done a small dance if she hadn't needed to correct him on one thing. "By the way, Midori, just one thing!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Do something for me? Open up your phone?" After looking at Mina like she'd grown an extra head, Izuku reached for his phone, which had remained untouched for the entire day, inside his jacket's pocket. "Go into your contacts?" He did so."Now, what do you see?"

"...My contacts list?"

"Any names specifically?"

"Y-Yours..."

"And what's it named as?"

"Mina..."

She patted his shoulder and gave him her trademark smile. "That's my name, not ' _Ashido-san_ '. Call me _Mina_ , 'kay, _Midori_?"

* * *

That day was what sparked the friendship between the most energetic girl, and the most timid and awkward boy in class 1A. After all, after everything that had happened that Saturday, it was impossible to look at the other person again, and not remember what they'd gone through. Sometimes, just being there with someone, and going through something with them, makes it impossible not to be friends with them.

* * *

 **Holy crap, you have no idea how long this took. This story ain't over yet, by a longshot. Some people were asking, and I can promise you up to at least TEN chapters of this story, as a minimum. I've loved working on this a lot more than I usually have, mostly cause I got to adress a lotta stuff that I thought would be fun.**

 **Those two jerks Bakugou was friends with, I seem them more as colluders than bullies, since they didn't really seem to mock Midoriya a whole lot, more just agreeing with Bakugou so he didn't blow them up. That's what I got from them anyway. And if not... Well, I'd LOVE to see their reactions when Midoriya started firing off his Quirk after the Sports Day arc.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it ^_^**


	4. Better Late Than Never

Rain.

Mina wasn't the sort of person to be particularly bothered when it came to the weather, regardless of what it was, rain, shine, snow, or even a tornado. She'd always know a way or two to make the most of a bad situation, and enjoy what was there while it was there. But she had a mild dislike of the rain, really just for a couple of reasons. Well, mostly just one.

The only really practical issue she ever had with the thousands of collective droplets of water falling from the sky was how it messed with her Quirk. Water washing away any Acid she made weakened, or in some cases totally negating the effects of her powers, which didn't exactly do much for her endearment towards the rain. As one might imagine, for someone training to be a Hero, that was a fairly large deal.

To combat such a disadvantage, Mina took an extra precaution when faced with the issue of precipitation. In addition to her raincoat, characteristically colourful and bright, filled with the primary colours of red and yellow on a sea of black behind it, and a few pins and buttons, to match her colourful personality, she wore a poncho, which in keeping with her own colour scheme, was bright pink. She thought that she might as well get some fun out of the plastic device, and see if she could confuse passer-by's and see if they thought a poncho had somehow developed legs and began to run off on its own.

Unlikely, considering the following - The only issue that she ever had with either of these were her horns - Since they jutted out of her skull a bit further up her head, they prevented her from always pulling her hood up fully, so whatever precautions she took, short of carrying an umbrella everywhere, like she was forced to right now, this object not at all colourful, but instead a shade of coal black, she'd always end up with rain hitting her in the face.

 _'I should put in a special request at a clothes store or something..._ ' She found herself thinking of a hoodie with specially designed holes in the hood that she could slot her horns though a few times, but she'd usually forget about it by the time she was someplace warm and dry. She tugged the poncho hood as far as she could pull it over her horns, praying that it wouldn't snap. She was already in the middle of the rain right now, she didn't want to be dealing with her poncho misbehaving now! "C'mon, you plastic piece-a junk..."

As she did so, she began to wonder if she should make some modifications to her Hero costume, since it'd be pretty hard to be the Hero Tokyo both deserved and needed if she could be countered by someone throwing tap water at her.

Ashido Mina - Defeated by the hated Villain, Tapman, the Quirkless Villain who threw bottles of lukewarm tap water at everyone he saw. God, she could practically see the headlines now.

The thought of the fictional Quirkless Villain brought her thoughts right back around to the very real, very much Heroic classmate, and her friend, Midori.

Both of them had shared a conversation of text messages throughout the entirety of Sunday. They hadn't discussed anything in particular, just what came into their heads, from school, to Heroes, to games, their classmates, and to family. No real structure, and occasionally, one of them would go missing for an hour here, or ten minutes there, but neither of them minded. It had been a conversation Mina had thoroughly enjoyed.

Last Saturday, she had learned so much about Midori, what made him tick, and how his brain worked. He'd told her something so incredible, so absolutely mind boggling, she couldn't believe she'd even heard it at times. To think, someone would actually attempt the Yuuei admission tests while believing themselves to be totally Quirkless... That in itself was something that deserved respect. She'd never even heard of that before. Sure, there weren't any restrictions on people without Quirks attempting to get into Yuuei, but any sane individual knew that the chances of that ever actually happening were basically non-existent.

But Midori had done it.

And passed.

But there was now so much more to her green haired classmate than she'd previously suspected. He made so much sense to her now, and she understood why he was like he was. A person who possessed such a useful and powerful Quirk, the incredible power that was his Strength Enhancing Quirk, that wound up being as meek and timid as Midori was... Came from his years of not knowing what his own Quirk was. Where his low opinion and confidence came from. It finally made sense to her. And she was the only one who knew! She'd guard that particular secret with her life. It was for Midori to disclose as he felt it was appropriate. Mina was a social creature - She wasn't a gossip.

Together, he and Bakugou were not only polar opposites, but they drew a direct comparison to one another. Bakugou knew his Quirk from youth, he'd had years to refine and practice it, to learn how it worked, and how to enhance it to the absolute limits. And he grew up to be... Well... His 'charming' self.

Normally, with a Quirk like his, one would suspect the same think to be true of Midori. For him to be exactly like Bakugou, right down to the sheer arrogance and bloodthirsty bravado. But no. He had lived close to fifteen years without even knowing his own power, and now that he had one, he had no idea what to do with it, but he was learning. Whatever strides he made, he always remained humble, and never took the credit he was due.

In a way, as selfish as it may sound, Mina was glad that it had wound up this way. That she had gotten to know the shy, awkward boy, was entirely because of the struggles he'd been through. They might not have met otherwise, or she could have been presented with something that was not at all the Midori she knew right now.

Next thing she realised, she was on the subway, speeding toward Yuuei, for another day of learning the ropes on how to be the very best Heroes they could be. And for some reason, her thoughts just would not fade away from Izuku.

And for some reason, it didn't bother her at all.

The excitement never ceased for the students of Yuuei, Mina found.

Before even arriving at the school grounds, she had been showered with praise and admiration and a thousand other admiration applicable components by the people she normally shared her train ride with, as well as a few she'd never seen before. Praises and pats on the back for her efforts and placing during the Sports Festival, which she'd happily and enthusiastically accepted. One child even asked her for a signature, apparently having come to the conclusion that she was some sort of celebrity because she was on the TV for a short time. Even so, Mina happily obliged, and it once again reminded her just how big of a deal getting into Yuuei really was. The students there were always the focus point when the topic of the next generation of Heroes came up. Being accepted in there really was one of her proudest achievements, if not the single one.

And in class, she found out that it hadn't just been her whom had experienced this shock and awe effect of their performances on the big screen. The classroom was essentially a frag grenade filled with activity and enthusiasm so thick Mina could practically taste it, and she freaking loved it! She basically breathed the stuff!

"I got so many people yelling my name in the streets!"

Her own social group had engaged in conversation regarding their experiences over the last few days, each of them having a different story to go with their own little escapades throughout their four day break. Some of them more exciting than others.

Her group consisted of herself, of course, alongside Kirishama, Hagakure, Sero, and Tsuyu, the frog girl seeming more on the edge of the conversation rather than directly involved in it, but that was just the way she was, and no one really seemed to mind too much.

"I got a ton of people who recognised me on my way here! A little kid asked me for an autograph!" She bragged, a grin firmly attached onto her face while everyone listened to her in a state of awe. Part of her was tempted to bring up Overgrow… But she decided against doing so. Since all it would take was one of them to make a careless comment in front of Aizawa-sensei for them to feel the full wrath of the stern Pro-Hero, a force Mina was in no rush to deal with.

"There were so many people staring at me so intently... I was so embarrassed!" Hagakure gushed on the spot, with Kirishama to her side, nodding alongside the invisible girl that he'd experienced similar. Mina couldn't help but smirk at that statement. It amused her that the girl who literally was invisible could be embarrassed at people staring at her. She stood out due to her innate invisibility, surely she'd be used to it by now?

"Speak for yourselves! I got freakin' elementary school kids trying to make me feel better by telling me 'Good try'!" Sero complained, a look that fell somewhere between irritated and amused covering his face, as he tried to decide if he should have been offended or not that he seemed to be the only one there that hadn't been admired.

"Good try!" Tsuyu croaked in the closest to a teasing manner she could manage. Her joke caused Sero to slam his head straight into his desk in frustration, which made Mina openly laugh at the Tape Quirk user's reaction.

As she and her group laughed and shared stories, Mina's mind ran back to the Saturday, where they had run into those two students from Midori's high school had shown up. She wondered what exactly had gone on between them and Midori, but judging from how jumpy he had been, it couldn't have been all that good. It was obvious they had been bullies to him as he had grown up, and while part of her was hungry for details… She wouldn't pry. She'd delved too deep into his private life already regarding his Quirk. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

"Ah, Deku!" The pink girl tilted her head, to see Uraraka greeting Iida and Izuku, the two having just made their way into the classroom. For whatever reason, his hands were bandaged up again. Probably due to the run in with Overgrow, she thought to herself. Either way, she was happy to see him. "Did you get anyone calling you out in the streets? Everyone else seems to!"

Izuku seemed to hesitate before he answered, as if he wasn't sure if to answer or not. He seemed to shoot a glance towards Bakugou, who was nosily dropping his bags at the bottom of his desk and clattering into his seat before he finally answered, convinced that the irritable teenager couldn't hear him. "Y-Yeah... A few people on my train congratulated me... A-And I ran into some people I used to go to middle school with..."

Mina would have hopped out of her desk and gone over to join them had Aizawa-sensei not entered the room in that very second. Instantly, everyone found their seats, faced the front, and all noise abruptly stopped, like someone had cut the audio from a television set. Talking to Midori and everyone else would have to wait.

It was time for lessons to begin...

* * *

And what a lesson it had been!

Between learning about the votes that had come in for them from the Pro's, and learning that they would get to choose their work experience placements to go on in just a couple of days, things at the Hero Course were starting to heat up.

But that hadn't been the best part. Oh no, not even close!

Today, they'd finally gotten to choose their Hero names!

Mina had literally jumped straight out of her seat when that particular bombshell was announced, and she hadn't been alone. Virtually everyone had shared that level of pure unrestricted enthusiasm and energy when they'd learned that that was what today would be focused on!

Of course, Aoyama leading everything off, it had gotten very weird, very quickly.

'Can't stop Twinkling' was his Hero name... Mina didn't even have the words to express how exasperating that particular choice had been. Even Midnight, the person who was supposed to be here to make sure their names weren't too ridiculous, started helping him revise it to make it sound clearer! There was definitely a sense of frustration from everyone in the class, everyone wanting to beg him to please pick a language, either English, French, or Japanese. At this point, none of them even cared which one it was, as long as he became freaking consistent with it!

But then it had been her turn, and she had been so incredibly excited to share her name with her class. She'd skipped right up there, whiteboard in hand, and held her Hero name up with pride and a smile!

Alien Queen!

...And it got shot down before her dreams of glory ever began. Midnight had drawn a comparison to the creatures from Alien, which she would admit, had played a part in her inspiration for the name, but come on! If Aoyama got freaking 'Can't stop Twinkling', what was stopping her from becoming Alien Queen?

Who was in charge of that?! What logic was being used there?!

Probably on reflection, the same logic that let Shouji pick the name 'Tentacle' despite his Quirk being Dupli-Hands, not tentacles, and the same one that let Mr. Twinkle-Man get his! It was a combination of frustrating, infuriating, embarrassing, and incredibly disheartening to Mina that her name got scrapped like that. She'd thought she'd come up with a cool name, but apparently tentacles and a guy who was shiny were more impressive.

"This sucks." She'd muttered quietly to herself, as she'd brainstormed for what other options she had.

Eventually, she'd just decided on the first thing that came to her head, since she'd not been given much time to come up with a revised name. And what had that been?

Pinky.

It was the best she could come up with in such a short amount of time. The best she could come up with in that time was the thing her brother called her to annoy her.

Pinky. The Acid Hero.

Yay.

'Oh, Micha is just going to love this, isn't he?' She couldn't help think to herself bitterly. The sheer number of Pacman jokes was going to be un-freaking-bearable. The number of jokes about her skin pigments was gonna go through the roof. In her head, she was already thinking of the perfect counters to use against the sarcastic little bastard. Well, older bastard. Skinny... Whatever, it wasn't important!

The rest of the Hero names went by fairly uneventfully, everyone picking the names that they'd be known by for years to come, in a lot of cases. Everyone knew that a Hero name was one of the most defining things about a Hero, so everyone had at least put some thought into it growing up. Tsuyu had her name planned since elementary school, whereas Bakugou... Evidently put more focus in just breaking things. Constantly. At all times.

Todoroki and Iida ended up just going with their names. Mina couldn't personally understand the appeal of that. That wasn't any fun, but it was their choice, and she'd respect it.

The last person to present their Hero name, excluding the Explosion maniac's revision of his, was Izuku. Mina assumed he'd come up with hundred, thousands of names throughout his childhood. Rough ideas, sketches, probably even costumes that he wanted to have replace his current one once he grew out of it. He probably had the perfect Hero name for himself.

Although, when she saw it, she couldn't help herself. "Wha - Are you sure about that?!"

She wasn't alone in her sentiment. There wasn't a single person who wasn't at least surprised by Izuku's choice. Even more surprising was the unwavering conviction he held himself in. He wasn't shaking, he refused to back down from this. This was the name he wanted to carry into battle. He'd decided.

"I'm sure." He nodded, very deliberately. "Until recently... I hated this name... I hated everything about it. It basically was a shackle I'd have preferred to forget about. But... With help from certain people, it's become something I want to be known by." His fingers gripped tighter around his whiteboard. Any tighter, and he was going to shatter it. "This will be my Hero name."

The whiteboard was blank except for some large writing in the centre. No justification like some of the others had on theirs, no bubble writing, and no style to it.

It was just there. His Hero name.

Deku.

The derogatory nickname that Bakugou had used to shame him, to humiliate him, that Uraraka had picked up and given a new meaning…

She knew for a fact it wasn't directed at her, his reasons for liking the name Deku. That had to go to Uraraka, Iida, or maybe even those guys from Saturday. The only person who really knew the answer to that was Midori over there... But Mina couldn't help but smile all the same.

* * *

Once everyone had selected their chosen Hero names, each student was handed out a list of workplaces that they could apply for field experience with. Students who had received nominations from Heroes who watched their performances were given a personalised list of those who voted for them, for them to select a place from. This led to a situation where someone like Todoroki was given well over two thousand options to choose from, whereas someone like Sero had maybe twelve options to consider. As if the gap between them wasn't wide enough. Since she hadn't received any, Mina was just given a standard workplace sheet.

They had been given just two days to decide where it was that they wanted to go. Then, at the beginning of next week, they would be sent off to attend those workplaces every day for the next week. It would be their first glimpse - Real glimpse, not the kind of glimpse where a bunch of Villains and murderers were trying to kill them - Into the everyday life of Pro-Heroes.

The next day, Mina still couldn't decide on a place to go to. Her list wasn't exactly huge, and not a lot of the options appealed to her, and the few that did seemed like her Quirk wouldn't be worth a damn with. A few of her classmates had already decided and handed their forms into Aizawa-sensei, who had reminded them many times, that they needed to be absolutely certain, since they may come to regret it in their third years. That seemed like so long away to Mina, but she got the message clearly.

She had to choose the best possible place. Make the most out of the next week, because it could wind up being the biggest factor in determining what the next three years were dedicated towards, be it civil service, fighting Villains, or rescue operations, and everything between them.

Mina allowed her head to slump into her arms on the desk, covering up her face. What she wouldn't give to have one of those personalised lists... Then the Pro's would have done half the work for her. They could've decided if her Quirk was best suited for their regular workloads.

She sighed into the warm, dark den that was her arms right now, feeling her horns press against her forearms in doing so. What the heck could she pick?...

"Hey, Ashido-san?"

Hearing that voice, that almost unsure, nervous, but clearly concerned tone, Mina knew exactly who it was before he'd even said her name. She pulled her head up, feeling cool air hitting her skin, and sure enough, found Izuku stood near to her desk, with an expression that looked like he'd worked up a lot of nerve to just walk to her side of the classroom.

For someone like Midori though, Mina wasn't surprised. They stood on the exact opposite ends of the room, so there was no way that he could walk over to her desk without people noticing him being out of place. Even if it was nearing the end of the day, he tended to stick to the left hand side of the room, near the windows, with Iida and Uraraka. Apparently he'd just decided that seeing the pink girl looking like she'd passed out at her desk was worth the attention he'd get.

Though that didn't mean she wasn't gonna enjoy messing with him just a little bit.

She smiled at him warmly, but also with a craftiness to it, as she rested her head in her left hand and looked up towards him. "Thought I told you to call me Mina, Midori?"

Izuku blushed. "Y-You were serious? A-Are you sure?" He was a polite person, always preferring to use family names with the appropriate honorific out of nothing else but respect for the individual in front of him. Even if he felt comfortable enough to forgo the honorifics, he still usually called people by their family name. That was just how he was. Even Tsuyu had given him permission to use her given name, and he still slipped up on that from time to time. The one and only exception seemed to be Bakugou, or Kacchan as Izuku called him.

He somehow struggled at being casual. Just another one of his many, many amusing traits.

"Yep! I was! Try it!" Mina grinned, watching the boy flounder around the place. They'd got the attention of a couple of onlookers, but it wasn't like that was to be unexpected. They weren't really know for being friendly with one another, so seeing them engage in this sort of conversation was an unusual occurrence. She didn't mind who took notes though. It wasn't like she had anything to hide.

"A-A-Alright... M-Mina-san." Izuku managed to force out, not being able to do so without showing his normal level of proper respect. His face had gone beet red, apparently flustered by just saying her name.

"Not quite, but that'll do." She teased him, before sitting up straight in her seat. She'd had her fill. Mina-san was a step up from Ashido-san at least. He'd get better as time went on. "Whats up?"

The bumbling young student managed to calm himself down enough to be able to form a coherent sentence at last, remembering what it was that brought him over here in the first place. "O-Oh... I-I was just wondering... Y-You looked like you were stressed?..."

The grin on her face fell, as she answered. "I am!" Mina groaned, pushing her work placement sheet in front of her so the freckled boy could see. "I've been struggling to come up with where I wanna go for the weeks work experience. Aizawa-sensei keeps saying we need to choose the right spot, but I can't think of any..." She paused. "What about you? You got one of these forms, right? Where're you going?"

"I uh, All Might told me I got a late nomination yesterday, so I'm going there." Izuku revealed. He gave her the rundown of the information that he knew, but in truth, the only thing that he knew was that he'd be taking nearly an hour's ride on the Shinkansen line to his location.

"Luckyyyyyy..." Mina sighed again, kicking her legs underneath her desk lightly. "Wish I'd gotten some votes..." She'd put on a half decent show, hadn't she? How hadn't she at least gotten one vote?... Probably because of Bakugou and Todoroki. That gap was just getting more and more noticeable.

Izuku just looked at the sheet, and then back towards Mina, before running through some ideas in his head. Pointing to the option on her sheet he asked, "What about Urban Dealings? If I had a Quirk like yours, that'd be where I went."

"Hrmm? Whys that?"

"Your Quirks useful in that sort of environment. A lot of Heroes who do a lot of work in the Urban Dealings sector of the department tend to have Strength Enhancing or violent Quirks that can cause major damage to public property, but your Quirk is a lot of use to them because you can minimise the total damage done since you can choose a target or an object you want to dissolve, and the worse you'll create are some droplets in the side of a building while the main concentration of your Acid is on your target." Izuku listed off the reasons, before giving a TL;DR. "You can do the same thing that the Heroes there would have to do, but cause less overall damage in the meantime. You could probably even fix some of the damage they cause by using your Acid like a welder." He pointed out the name of a Hero on the list. "The Quick-Hit Hero Frenzai. He does Urban stuff."

It never ceased to amazed Mina just how much Izuku knew about the different areas of Heroics, including the ones that he himself didn't even have any outstanding interest in. He was like an encyclopaedia for the world of Pro-Heroes.

"That... Actually sounds like it might be a good place then..." She pondered, looking over the list a second time. She hadn't thought about her Quirks use in that sort of way. Where she had thought about applying for the most obvious and logical reasons, Izuku seemed to also consider the fringe options, the ones that most others wouldn't expect.

"I could text you some details on each of the placements later, if you want." The freckled boy offered, taking note of the current time. "I could help you choose a place, I-if you like."

For whatever reason, Mina felt her heart flutter at the offer. It was yet another display of kindness, of him getting involved in something he didn't need to be, all because he thought that the person he'd seen from afar needed the help.

It was a quality she'd admired about him for a long time. There were very few people who didn't respect that about Izuku, his willingness to just help out.

"That'd... That'd be nice, Midori. Thanks." She smiled again, far warmer this time. No jokes, and no ironic tones. Just genuine, deep seated gratitude towards her friend.

* * *

That night, Izuku had followed through with the promise that he'd made, and sent her a long winded list that went over what each Hero placement did, based on what he knew about each individual Hero. His knowledge was simply staggering, but Mina was gonna be damned if she didn't take the full advantage of it.

 _'So this guy, he works in the city?'_

 _'Yeah. Sendai, I think. He's got a really good reputation there, people love him.'_

Thanks to help from Izuku, and her now firm understanding of what each place did, Mina finally decided on a work placement after just a few minutes of the information being sent to her. Everything said and done, she knew that the best option for her, the best placement, and the choice that she honestly liked the look of was up further north in Japan.

Specifically, the Hero office that she had decided to go and visit the neighbouring Tohoku region, with a Hero who went by the name of Heator, who apparently had a Quirk that let his hands reach lava-levels of heat. A very dangerous, but useful Quirk if handled correctly - Just like hers.

She'd made her choice, and was now able to just relax. Into her comfortable pyjamas she had changed, and now, she laid on her back in bed, and just allowed the mattress to return her heat back to her, warming up the girl's body within a matter of minutes. She let out a sigh, this time of relief and of relaxation, that the stress was finished and done with, that she didn't have to worry about that anymore. She closed her eyes for just a few moments, before opening them again, turning down the brightness on her phone so it didn't literally sting to look at, and typed up a reply to Izuku.

'Thanks, Midori. You're the best.' She meant it too. In the short time she'd known him, really gotten to know him, Izuku had proven to be the sort of person that you knew you could rely on. The kind of person who you could go to with your problems, and he'd help you out, no strings attached. She'd only gotten to know him a short time, but she already felt like they'd been friends for years. Maybe that was just in part to how warm a person he was, how he was kind to anyone he met, and the way he was. A big part of her regretted not speaking to him sooner... Better late than never though, right?

 _'I-It's not a big deal at all! I'm just glad I could help.'_ Mina chuckled. How could someone be so humble, so altruistic, so naturally?

So what if he'd only just begun to discover his Quirk? So what if he was sort of a wimp when it came down to it? So what if he had a tendency to be nervous and to mutter out loud? She couldn't think of anyone who better embodied the term 'Hero' more.

She got another message from Izuku, which she read.

 _'By the way, Ashido-san...'_

"It's Mina, but okay." She said out loud, not really thinking about it. She continued to read the message, holding the screen at arm's length.

 _'...Your first name. Alien Queen... I liked it... I thought it was cool.'_

Once again, she smiled. At least someone liked it.

 _'Thanks, Midori.'_

* * *

 **I felt the need to flesh this out just a bit more... But I can't really think of anything that wouldn't seem absolutely pointless, so I just threw in a few Mina hints, as well as me going a little OOC out there to rant about Midnight's god awful Hero naming policies, but never mind that! This chapter is mostly out of my obligation and respect to the canon, and the next chapter will be the last one that sticks this close to the canon. I've done my research, and we get a pretty blank period after the workplace arc, which supposedly lasts a few months, so I can really get into the grit of what I'm wanting to do with this story.**

 **I didn't originally plan for this to go up today... But given the state that the world is now in, I think we all needed this. This is my tiny way of helping soften the blow of today's results - You know the ones I mean.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, and get ready for some totally canon - Free plots coming up soon ^_^**


	5. Screw It

Mina never really gave too much thought to the prospect of romance. Sure, someone her age thought about it a bit, but her situation was a bit different, wasn't it? Being a student at Yuuei, Mina's efforts had been on trying to get good grades - Honestly, she was trying her absolute hardest! - And not getting killed by Villains. It was a full time commitment to any student who got into the academy, even those who weren't bombarded with attacks from Villains every other few weeks. Training and learning how to better control her Quirk, to expand her abilities and better herself - that was the true essence of what Mina tried to do, even if it never looked that way.

In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, when she finally heard about Izuku's run in with the Hero Killer, it made her stop, step back, and re-evaluate some things. Izuku was a friend, and a close one at that. At least, that's how Mina felt. Fundamentally, they were both rather different people, him being reserved and prone to stuttering and awkward hesitation, traits that led to him being rather reclusive and shy, whereas Mina was the exact opposite, being hyperactive and sociable with basically everyone. Her boundless energy contradicted alone contradicted Izuku's personality. And yet, they had gotten along so swimmingly over the past week and a bit. They'd gone from basically being strangers Izuku willing to confide in her about the things that caused his lack of confidence. He was willing to trust her with his secrets, even if they were just secrets because he was too embarrassed to admit them to his classmates.

It was stupid, Mina thought, that despite only knowing him for so short a length of time, the prospect of her maybe... Just maybe caring for Izuku a bit more than just as a close friend seemed totally inane. More than that, just incomprehensible. Almost wrong. They didn't know each other all that well at all. And yet... It wasn't entirely an unwelcome idea either. Mina wanted to know him more, but didn't want to seem pushy all the time, so she allowed him some space wherever it was required. But through text messages, face to face interacts, and watching him suddenly outperform himself once again, it became hard... So unbelievably hard to deny this sense of fondness she was nurturing for her freckled classmate.

Could it have been because she didn't want to lose her friend after making a new one so soon? That she didn't want to entertain the prospect of only now just getting to understand Izuku, and establish the friendship so recently kindled suddenly being torn away by the hands of someone like the Hero Killer, or were these the hidden feelings that she didn't know she had? Of course she hadn't wanted him to get killed in the USJ, even then managing to impress her, but that was back when they hadn't even spoken a word to on another. She would have gotten over it fairly quickly, if not left a bit shaken by his demise. Now she didn't want to even confront a possibility like that.

Only adding to her confusion was the reaction her body had whenever she contemplated this. Never before had her heart suddenly gone aflutter whenever she thought about an individual. Band members, celebrities, her favourite Heroes, of course she'd thought about those kinds of people, everyone did, but they never made her feel this warm inside. Hearing his voice after learning about the Hero Killer, seeing him when they returned... All of it added up to feelings Mina never knew she had, and never had experienced before in her life... But she couldn't deny, she liked them, and that Izuku was attached to those feelings, that he was probably the one responsible for them directly. Whenever he was around, she felt more jumpy than usual, which in itself spoke volumes as to the effect he had on her, and whenever he was hurt or in danger, she wanted to do anything to help him, no matter the danger to herself. She trusted him unconditionally, willing to risk her life if it was in his hands. And just being around him, thinking about him, made her heart beat that bit faster and made her giddy.

Could it be... Was... Was it possible that Midori Izuku was her first crush? The idea made her blush. Hard. Her pink cheeks turned a shade of lilac, standing against the normal pigments of her unusual skin colour when she thought about this. The mere fact that she didn't dislike the idea in the slightest only seemed to confirm it.

Was it wrong to feel like this for someone she'd only just begun to know? In the movies and in Anime, it took weeks, months, sometimes even years for two of the characters to feel this way about one another, and Mina felt like this towards Izuku after just under two weeks? Wasn't that wrong, even unfair to Izuku? Was it selfish of her to want to entertain these daydreams, to wonder what would happen if they were the real feelings trapped within her? This was her first crush, first time ever feeling this way, so she didn't know the answers.

But Mina wasn't the kind of person to allow herself to become crippled by insecurities, by indecision and uncertainty. Her very nature forbade that. So, she decided to tackle her issue head on, to see if she could try to figure out these emotions - With reckless energy and enthusiasm, and by taking the problem by the horns. Not hers, in this case though.

* * *

"Midori!" This marked the first time that Mina had greeted Izuku with a hug, and it was certainly a greeting he wouldn't have expected from anyone other than Mina, and even then, it had caught him off guard. It wasn't necessarily unwelcome, just a surprise to Izuku, given everything that had happened to him over the last week.

Gran Torino, The Hero Killer, learning how to use One For All, Full Cowl... He'd been practically swimming in drama and training for the last seven days of workplace experience, though he wondered if it was even appropriate to call it that. He'd worked under a Pro Hero, sure, but at no point had they ever done something even remotely close to a normal Hero's day of work. Still, he'd worked hard, and come forward in leaps and bounds, so he couldn't complain about that.

Right now however, he found himself tensing up, struggling to even remain upright as Mina had basically thrown her collective body weight onto the unexpecting teenager as she had jumped to hug him, her cheeks pressed rather firmly against his own, doing nothing to help the composure he was struggling to contain in the first place. The crimson appeared on his cheeks before he even knew what was going on, making his face hot. His eyes were suddenly wide open, and for a second, he thought he was being attacked by something, only realising it was Mina by the pink skin that was wrapping itself around his neck.

Mina had snuck up behind him before she had pounced, aiming to scare the living daylights out of him. When she'd learned that he'd had a run in with the Hero Killer, and that message during their weeks experience was basically an SOS, she had been thrown into a state of absolute panic. Once she was able to get through to him, she'd never been happier to hear his voice in her entire life. Even the USJ invasion didn't come close.

So this was her little version of revenge. Scaring the crap out of him in retaliation for scaring the crap out of her. So, she'd waited until the day had ended before she'd put her plan into action. Uraraka and Iida were there also, walking either side of him. Not ideal, but Mina had planned this quite honestly silly little idea far too much and way too ahead of time to let their presence stop her. She'd charged right on ahead and basically invited herself for an improv-piggyback ride as she wrapped her arms around his neck, calling out his nickname in a high pitched squeal.

"Aaah!"

"What - Ashido, what is it you think you're doing?!"

She didn't hear the surprised yelp she'd been wanting to from the She certainly got a shriek of surprise and frantic arms flailing from Uraraka, and a quick demand of her behaviour from Iida, but from Izuku, she didn't even hear anything. Instead, she felt a set of hands in her arms, trying to pry her off. Quietly, she heard Izuku speak. "A-Ashido... Oxygen... Can't breathe..."

Realising her grip had been way too tight around his neck, Ashido quickly let go of the gasping boy, allowing him to reclaim the air she'd restricted him from gathering. She leaned over and patted him in the back as she did so, the smile not quite gone from her lips. "Sorry, Midori~!" She apologised a bit too cheerfully as she held onto the last letter of his abbreviated name for a couple seconds longer than she needed to.

Once Izuku had regained some of the colour back from his previously blue face, he found himself with his cheeks redder than they normally were. He faced Ashido with a mixed expression of anger, happiness, embarrassment, with a small hint of curiosity. He struggled to get his words out, part in due to his neck still needing time to adjust to the sudden changes of pressure on it, and partly on due to his normal awkwardness. "A-Ashido-san, w-what was that f-for?"

"It's still Mina." She reminded him, her hands now behind her back, and as she did so, she leaned in closer to his face with a smile. "That's just my little way of repaying you for scaring me like you did with that message." Once she finished her little comment, a bit closer to Izuku's face than she had ever been excluding the hug she'd given him about fifteen seconds ago, she stood upright, and turned to face their class president. "Iida, about your brother... I'm really sorry."

"Your consideration is appreciated, Ashido." Iida thanked Mina in his regularly formal way, bowing in gratitude, far more rigid than Mina's had been. The entire class had shown the same concern for him during lessons, so it only felt right for Mina to give him her condolences in a more personal manner. "The Hero Killer is now behind bars. I'm thankful we were able to deliver justice."

Izuku nodded in his agreement, and in spite of his friend's declaration, and still being as flustered as he had been when Mina had hugged him, finally allowed his tense body to relax. The green haired student was fumbling around to re-straighten his uniform and to compose himself. He might not have been so red had she done that when he was alone, but now he knew he had to answer a plethora of questions that was destined to come his way.

Already, Uraraka was looking at the two with confusion and curiosity. Since she had a tendency to say whatever came into her head, she didn't really think twice about bringing up something she'd noticed. "Midori?" Her eyes darted between the pink haired and skinned girl, whom had discarded her grey jacket along with the red tie and stuffed in into her bag as she liked to do, leaving her in just the white shirt of the top half of the uniform, and the still neatly uniformed, fumbling Izuku.

"Yep! It's my nickname for him!" Mina cheerfully informed Uraraka. "Like how you and Bakugou call him Deku. I think it's a lot cuter!" Not once did she stop beaming as she spoke, each of her words expressed with energy and affection. Izuku had been reduced a blushing mess once again.

Uraraka looked a mixture of both happiness and surprise. Since she and Mina had a fairly good relationship, the development didn't seem to bother her at all. Instead, she returned the smile Mina was giving and replied, "I didn't know you two were on such good terms!"

"Nor did I." Iida agreed, looking over at Izuku, displaying an equal level of interest. "Is this a recent development?"

"J-Just after the Sports Festival. Ash... Mina-san missed her train..." Izuku reminded himself to use the pink girl's first name through clenched fists and a bite of his bottom lip. Him doing so made Mina beam, and gave Uraraka and Iida a shock that he was willing to use her first name, given his polite and respectful personality. He recounted the events that had transpired, how he and Mina had taken the subway together, and how they had met one another on the following Saturday. He left out the fact that they had had run ins with Overgrow and his two former schoolmates, which Mina didn't miss on, but she didn't bring it up.

Eventually, once he was done explaining things to his friends, and the situation seemed to have calmed itself down, Uraraka had invited Mina to walk with them to the subway station so they could catch the trains together. Accepting in her enthusiastic manner, Mina alongside Izuku, the gap between them smaller than the gaps between anyone else. Izuku couldn't avoid that same unique and pleasant scent that Mina had, once again on her person, and that cute, pretty smile that she displayed at nearly all times. Occasionally, their hands would brush together, and one of them would rush to apologise to the other, the other insisting that really, it was no big deal, but it happened so frequently that Izuku had to wonder if this genuinely was a series of accidents. The prospect of it not being so made him blush beyond all regular levels, so when he managed to work up the nerves to look at the slightly shorter girl, and when she'd always lock eyes with him and smile again, his body would heat up even more.

Of course, none of these were even slightly accidental. While these were always the normal things Mina would do, she caught herself taking notes on how certain things that were happening were making her feel, between conversations with the green haired boy, and Uraraka and Iida, of course. The smiles, the glances, and few seconds of skin contact from her very deliberate efforts, everything just made her feel happy. Just happy, whenever she was around Izuku. It felt familiar like their day out, and new and exciting sensations that she'd never experienced, but longed for more. Part of her felt guilty for using him as what basically amounted to a series of experiments to test her own emotions, but she wasn't going to deny that making him flustered like this was fun in itself.

Once they made their way to the subway station, Uraraka and Iida broke off, heading towards their respective stations that would take them to their residency as quickly as possible. Neither Mina nor Izuku had really paid all that much attention to their friend's reactions whenever the pink girl did something vaguely flirtatious. If they had, they would have seen what was a look of concern, and a face that wasn't quite sure what it thought, but was amused nonetheless. A rarity for Iida, especially these days.

Alone with Mina once again, Izuku let out a sigh to calm himself and his nerves before he turned to face Mina. Their journey here still burning in the front of his mind, he wanted to open with a series of questions as to what everything she had done was in the name of, but when he went to interrogate the girl, the casual smile she still wore caused each word to catch themselves in his throat. He eventually decided it would be smarter to just go home, get a shower, and assume everything had been accidental. "W-Well, I guess I should get going to my station too, Ashido-san."

"Mina." She reminded him once more. The way she kept informing him was making her sound like Tsuyu more and more, she thought. Hell, she'd accept the usual Mina-san at this point. Pushing the comparison between her and her frog-form friend, she responded with something that she knew would probably throw Izuku for a loop. "And uh, well... D'you mind if I travel with you again Midori? I kinda have a few things I wanna talk about, I-if that's cool." Was she stuttering? Did Izuku and her just switch verbal ticks?

Izuku's face quickly shifted, becoming serious and inquisitive, but concerned as he always appeared to be. His stutter was gone suddenly as he spoke. "Why, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, not... Nothing's wrong, it just..." It was a rare sight for Mina to struggle to find words. Usually it'd be a task to get her to calm down for five seconds so she'd stop talking, her being unsure of what to say was a sure-fire way of knowing something was bothering her.

It seemed that Izuku noticed this, and without really thinking about it, he reached over and grabbed her hand. He reassured her with a soft smile, one that usually gave her great comfort. "Okay then. Come on, we'll grab my train."

Unaware that he'd made the girl blush just a bit, Izuku led her through the crowds of the subway station once again, just like he had done the first time she'd come along with him, just a week ago, even though it felt like forever and a day. This time, they actually made their way there with plenty of time remaining before the train whisked them away to the province Izuku lived. The green haired boy politely held his arm out to allow Mina to take the revered window seat, which she readily accepted. It wasn't until they were sat down that Izuku actually let go of her hand.

"So... What's up?" He asked, as soon as he'd reclaimed his hand, and rested it on his armrest casually. He was clearly ready to listen to whatever it was that Mina had to say, something she wasn't sure if she should be grateful or distressed for.

She went over in her mind again how ridiculous it was to think like that about Izuku. Just under two weeks, two weeks! That's how long they'd been friends for, and she was feeling like this about him?

They'd faced danger together against Overgrow, yes... But that couldn't be enough of a catalyst, could it? He'd shared his shame to her, and it had made her grow to appreciate and admire him all that more, but she wasn't that shallow to just fall for someone because he did something impressive!... Or continuously impressive...

A small bead of sweat ran down her forehead as she thought about how much less trouble she'd have to deal with if she just darted out the open train doors right now and made a run for it. Hop on her train, pretend she'd never said anything, maybe avoid this whole -

"We are now leaving the station. Please keep the entrances and exits clear."

Her hands gripped on the edge of her arm rests, and a very small amount of her acid actually melted the right plastic coating, the one closest to the window, so no one could see it. The one on the left, the one Izuku was watching, turned a dark violet. On a regularly coloured human, it would turn white, but Mina's pigments declared otherwise for her. _'So much for that plan._ ' She glanced at Izuku, who was still patiently waiting for her, letting her take all the time she needed to take.

Being nervous just wasn't something Mina was used to being. She almost didn't know how to act.

"I um... This is a bit more awkward than I thought it would be..." She sheepishly said with an awkward laugh, trying to stall for a bit of time. "Sorry, I'm just..."

"Don't worry about it, Mina." Her darkened eyes widened slightly when she heard him use her name. No honorifics. No formalities. No anything like that. He was here. He was her friend, she could be comfortable when talking to him about anything.

Anything except this.

"Take all the time you need." He added on with a smile. That smile...

"Th-Thanks..." Damn it, why had she allowed herself to develop a crush on the cutest damn nerd in all of freaking Yuuei? Wait. Shit. She'd allowed herself to think he was cute now! Not that she was going to deny it but...

'Damn it brain, stop messing with me!' She furiously yelled inside her head. As if to make it up to her, her mind came up with an idea to help her get this conversation going at a normal rate. "The... The Hero Killer..."

Izuku's eyebrows narrowed as he heard that name. He leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh that he couldn't decide if it was of exasperation or dread at hearing that lunatics alias again. "Yeah? What about him?"

"I just... I saw your message that you sent out... But I just... I thought it was a pocket dial or something. I didn't realise you were actually facing him until it was done..." She remembered the day rather clearly. Heator had shown her how to use her Quirk to melt little studs in walls so she could use anything as an improvised ladder. She'd displayed it just earlier today, even though against Sero, it'd been about as effective as entering a brick into formula one racing. "I uh... I just... Why didn't you tell me about it?..." As she finished the question, the train began to move, knocking both students back a bit due to the sudden momentum.

Izuku blinked.

"I - I mean!" She quickly added, "On the phone, a-and even here... You didn't say much about it... I-I just thought... Y'know, since Overgrow, and your Quirk... That you might have told me?" God she sounded pathetic, didn't she? She sounded like a little sister wanting to know why big brother Izuku was playing with the big kids and not her anymore.

"Well... Me, Iida, Todoroki... We kind of got ordered not to indulge too much..." Izuku honestly answered. Though it was a complete slap in the face, had they been made celebrities due to their efforts in defeating Stain, they would have had to be punished for using their Quirks without Provisional Licenses. Same for what happened to Overgrow. But... "...I didn't tell you because... Well, I didn't want to worry you. I-I thought that you might be busy with your workplace experience, s-so..."

Mina was gobsmacked. _Only_ Izuku.

Only he could face an infamous serial murderer, be confronted with the prospect of being brutally and violently killed, fight the terrifying psychopath, end up hospitalised, and still think that he would be inconveniencing others if he told them what happened. The one time where anyone on this earth could be forgiven for being that tiny bit selfish, for thinking about themselves and wanting to talk to someone about it, to vent and admit their feelings and worries, confess their fear and not be judged, only Izuku would chose not to use it because he thought Mina could be a little too busy to talk. She was amazed. Absolutely amazed. Heator could have gone to hell for all she cared, she would have dashed away to talk to him all night if he'd asked!

"Midori... You..."

That was it.

That was where her fondness for him had grown from. This was why she'd developed these feelings. It had all started with Todoroki. The red-and-white haired naturally gifted strongest member of class 1-A. He was at war with himself, for years as far as everyone in 1-A knew, refusing to use his fire powers because they were inherited from his father. He wanted to deny that lineage, that bloodline, that relationship itself, because of everything his father had supposedly done. He refuse to ever break the vow he'd made, to never use his fire side.

Izuku could have beaten him. He could have used his Quirk and sent him flying out of the ring, if he'd kept his damn mouth shut, he could have overpowered Todoroki. Frostbite claiming him, Todoroki had become weaker as the fight went on, with Izuku gaining the upper hand. Blast after hit after dodge and after strike, bones shattered or not, he was still winning. But he'd challenged Todoroki to challenge himself, to question his own oath. To think of himself as himself. Your power is your own, no one else's. That was what he'd said. And he'd made Todoroki use his left side. He'd done it. It cost him the match... But he'd done it.

Overgrow was next... There was no reason for him and her to fight that Villain. Fighting him would have only resulted in trouble for them were they caught in the middle of the fight by anyone other than Kamui Woods. The selfish thing, the thing Mina wanted to do, was to run, to let a Pro handle the situation. But Izuku... He refused. He couldn't just let it happen... Not while there was something he could do about it... And his determination, his dedication... It had inspired her, and before she'd known it, she was doing a forward-moving backflip in the air, with arms secreting as much acid as she physically could as part of his master plan.

And now, The Hero Killer, and Iida?...

That was why she'd fallen for him.

He was the most selfless, most courageous, and Heroic bastard she'd ever met in her entire life. He was so selfless, it went full circle, and went right back around to being selfish. How the hell was anyone supposed to compete with someone so damn altruistic?...

"You're... You... You're... You're like the most... Amazing person I think I've ever met." Mina couldn't help herself from saying it, but bizarrely, she didn't feel even slightly embarrassed in saying it. She meant it, well and truly. There just be wasn't anyone else she could think of. Even All Might didn't come close. All Might was a Pro, he was expected to do everything he did... But Izuku... He was a student, like her... There was nothing that said he should have to these things. He just did.

But he did it anyway. How couldn't she be inspired, and admire this boy?...

Izuku suddenly went up like a Christmas tree, his face going scarlet red and his eyes shot wide open, revealing his green iris' even more. His stammer came back like he'd been hit over the head with it, fumbling over his words and trying to formulate a coherent sentence. "That - Th - That... I - You - Wh - H - Huh?!"

The Acid Quirk user just smiled at him, nervousness gone. She'd been approaching this wrong, she thought to herself. She'd been trying to do this like she'd seen in the movies, in Anime, in anything else. But Izuku... He wasn't a conventional sort of person. And neither was she. There wasn't any sort of reason to do this than the way she would have done in normal circumstances. These realisations come forth, she found herself able to relax, and interact with him normally... Well, as normal as she could when it came to this guy.

"I - I - I - I - I - I - You - Th - That's a - a little much, i - isn't it?" He managed to sputter out, still redder than his own blood was. His hands had become a waving mess, unable to decide if he was supposed to be grabbing his face, brushing away the heat on his face, hiding himself, or whatever the hell else he could do.

"Nope!" Mina cheerfully responded, flicking his forehead lightly. "Humble, Heroic, selfless, supportive, and we haven't even finished our first semester yet. Speaks for itself, don't'cha think, Midori?" She chimed his nickname again, savouring the sound it made. "I've only really known you a few weeks... And well... You're the kinda guy I wish I'd known my whole life..."

"M-Mina-san..."

"I mean..." Mina remembered all those sweet words, all that help he gave her when she needed it. "I'm just... I guess I'm trying to say, I'm really glad I met you, Midori."

Izuku seemed to wrestle with something as he stared, rather intensely, at the back of the seat in front of him, still so red, his freckles had basically disappeared. He bit his lower lip, and went even redder. Along with this, he began to mumble something, but he was quiet so Mina couldn't hear. When he finally stopped, he looked at her with a fierce fluster.

"Y-You... You can call me I-Izuku i-if you want..." He offered through a dry throat and a face so warm that Mina swore that the condensation on the window was because of him and him alone. No one called him Izuku. The only person who he was close enough to comfortably call him that was his mother.

That in itself spoke mountains as to his feelings for Mina at this point. But...

"Nah. Your first names kinda plain."

"H-Hey!"

She laughed. "Midori-kun's cuter!" Punching his shoulder lightly before resting her head on it, careful not to whack him in the face with her horns, she made herself comfortable. "But... Izuku feels closer. Maybe just when we're alone, 'kay?"

"I-if that's what you w-want..."

"Okay... Izuku." She smiled, knowing full well the effect it would have on him. She liked it. His first name. Sure it was plain, a bit like him... Or how he looked at least. But it was earnest. It was personal. And it was hers to call him.

They kept going on the train in a comfortable, happy silence, Mina not moving her head from her comfortable Midori-pillow. The muscles in his body, when relaxed, made him a lot cushionier than someone would think from looking at him, so he really was like a pillow for Mina. She was close to him, both figuratively, and literally, and it gave her great comfort. It made her truly happy, really relaxed, just... Content was the best word to describe her right now. Content. At some point, Izuku's arm ended up around her neck, keeping her warm and close to him, and he rested his head gently on hers, avoiding her skull-based extremities as he did so.

Looking up at him, she could see his face. Well, just a little bit of it, his freckled cheek and his eyes, and the corner of his mouth. He was still as red as a beet was, and she could feel him shivering, probably out of his inexperience being in such close proximity to other people. But his eyes were half closed, indicating his relaxed state, and his lips were ever-so-slightly curled up, indicating a weak, shaky, but definite smile.

And being leaned on his, Mina could hear his heartbeat, currently rocketing at 130 bpm. Her own heart was probably close to that as well, though she hadn't counted that one as accurately. Was he... Was Izuku feeling the same way as she was?... Was that what that meant? Mina entertained the idea fondly as she sighed softly.

The announcer suddenly declared that the stop they were at now was the last one before they ended up at Izuku's stop, meaning that this comfortable silence, this comfortable warmth from the boy she was leaned against, would soon be over. But she didn't want it to be over...

 _'Screw it_.' Mina thought to herself. After this, it wasn't like she'd lose anything... And if she didn't try, she wouldn't gain anything. More than that though... She didn't want this, right here and now, whatever it was, to be a one-time thing. She didn't want this to be nothing else but a fond memory that she shared with him, and something she tried to artificially recreate with him later sown the line throughout their time at Yuuei. Weirdly, she wasn't nervous about asking.

Without looking up at him, she launched the question.

"Hey, Izuku... You wanna hang out Saturday? I owe you a hangout favour anyway..."

Izuku remained silent, for just a few seconds, but Mina felt his heart rate increase. He became warmer than he already was. When he responded, he did so alongside a small nod. "... Yeah... I - I do want to..."

"One in the afternoon outside Yuuei again?"

"Yeah..."

And that was it. Just the question had provided the answer, just as the train came to the destined, dreaded halt. Reluctantly, Mina pulled herself away from Izuku, the air cold without his warmth to accompany it. She blushed, wondering just how hard she'd fallen for this guy in such as short space of time.

They walked off together, standing next to one another for just a small amount of time, neither one of them really sure how to say goodbye. Neither of them particularly wanting to say goodbye.

"I... I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Mina-san..."

"Looks that way, Midori-kun..."

"...You want me to walk you to your station?" He suddenly offered with a shy smile. It was just a way to temporarily extend the time they could spend together, and Mina knew that.

But she appreciated it nonetheless. "That'd be nice."

Close proximity meant that it wasn't a very long extension of their time, but it was an extension, one neither of them hated at all. These feelings, these thoughts Izuku had, they were all new to him, as they were to Mina. They almost felt rushed... But he liked them all the same. He wasn't aware that Mina felt the same way... But he liked to think she did.

Depressingly, the train was actually on time for once, meaning now was the time for Mina to go. For real this time, but he could see her hesitation, her clenched fists _. 'Does she feel the same?...'_

"Hey." He said warmly. "You'll see me tomorrow. And Saturday." That damn warm smile, yet again!...

She did it then. The hell with caution or even really hiding it now. Mina steeled the nerves that were telling her to board the train right the hell now. She turned to face Izuku, and tightly gripped his shoulders, her knuckles turning that unique shade of purple they did, matching her cheeks. "Saturday! 1PM outside Yuuei!"

"Y-Yes!" The confused green haired students suddenly rocketed into attention, his eyes widened in surprise.

"It's a date then, Midori-kun!" She told him, before pulling herself closer to him, and after throwing her arms around his neck, planting the biggest kiss she'd ever given, seen, or heard in her entire life on his cheek, just atop his now invisible freckles. The affectionate display lasted only a few seconds, but it was more than enough to send Izuku into a near paralytic state. Of there was ever a better example of has stopped working, he'd forgotten it years ago.

Mina quickly let go, and after shooting him a wink from her black right eye, skipped her way onto the train.

Izuku didn't move for a long time after that. Not when her train left, and not even when the next one came. His brain was processing what had just happened to him - the first kiss he had ever, ever received from a girl. It wasn't something he was even slightly able to comprehend had just happened right there, just a short while ago. And it had been Mina. Mina had given him the first kiss he'd ever received in his life. Mina!

He stood there for so long comprehending it, eventually, someone dropped some coins at his feet, mistaking him for some sort of public performer.

* * *

 **So of course after writing this I learn that Japan is one of the most formal damn countries on the planet when it comes to public displays of affection. This what I've written here, that'd never happen in Japanese society apparently. So, sorry Japan, but your formalities just got thrown out the window for this story, since it'd be difficult as hell to write what I wanna with them like that.**

 **But we finally got to the fluff so many of you wanted ^_^ We're really gonna start steaming on ahead with MinaDeku from here on out, and It's exciting to write. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I feel like I got Mina fairly spot on. She strikes me as the type to overthink this sort of thing, even if she is the way she is at all other times. Since we don't know how long the gap was in the Manga, I'm taking it on myself to say it's about a month long before the end of term test, so this is gonna be giving me enough space to fit in what I want to. (Manga's actually getting pretty damn good lately too...)**

 **At any rate, hope you enjoyed this, and hope you're excited for more ^_^**


	6. Never Separated (Reupload)

**Reupload after I had a better idea for the story. Just a small change at the end, everything else is the same.**

* * *

Perhaps, on reflection, kissing Izuku like that, Mina thought, had been a bad idea.

She hadn't expected the reaction she'd gotten from him. Then again, given the kind of person that he was, she wasn't sure exactly certain what sort of a reaction she had been expecting in the first place. A blush? A return kiss? Him falling dumbstruck for her? Well, she was fairly confident that she achieved one of those things, judging from how he acted on Tuesday through Friday.

One of two things happened every morning that week. Either Izuku would walk in after Mina had arrived and then, after a polite wave and wobbly smile, during which his palms looks as red as his cheeks did, and then he'd make his way to his seat and try desperately to avoid making eye contact with her, or even be within a two meter proximity of if he could get away with it, going through some very convoluted routes to do so at times. At one point, he ended up doing an entire lap around Todoroki's seat, leaving the Half-Hot-Half-Cold boy giving Izuku a look like the guys brain had just fried.

The other thing that happened was those times where Mina arrived later than Izuku did, and those times, she didn't even get the wave. He'd check who had walked in, and engage in conversation with whoever the heck was near him at the time like it would make his heart start working again. Uraraka and Iida were common recipients of this, but Mineta and Todoroki, and even people he didn't speak to that often, like Kaminari and Kyouka were also included. This plan of his failed on the Thursday, when the only person who was close enough for this to work was Bakugou, who just unleashed an explosion in his palms as a warning of what was to happen if he kept trying to speak to him.

What was unique about their out of school interactions were how repetitive and otherwise barely existent they were. Izuku rarely started a conversation between the two, but whenever he did end up messaging her, he would send her the same message, all in capitals, every time. '1PM SATURDAY OUTSIDE YUUEI.' There wasn't any doubt in Mina's mind that it was done to convince himself that it hadn't all been a dream of some sort, that if she turned around and asked what the hell he was talking about, he'd instantly forget it ever happened. Like he was checking with her to see if it was still happening. Not that she ever did say that she was going to call it off. She was looking forward to their inevitably awkward date.

None of this meant that they didn't talk throughout the week whatsoever. They did, but their conversations weren't at all like they were previously. They spoke in short bursts at a time, before one of them made some sort of excuse, flustered, to do something else, get out of one another's hair, or finish some work assignment they'd been given an hour previously. This series of excuses made for the most productive week Mina had had in a while, actually keeping her up to date with assessments and theory. She'd never taken such a keen interest in Maths and Ethics in her entire life.

To say that they had a bad relationship because of the kiss would be inaccurate. In truth, neither of them had ever felt as close to another person in their entire lives. Mina had basically all but confessed her feelings to Izuku with that pack in the cheek, whereas Izuku had been wrestling his emotions for the past week, and was still trying to conclude on what he felt. Their issue was their lack of knowledge, of understanding as to what they were supposed to do in this sort of situation they found themselves in, in which they were more than friends, but less than lovers.

It didn't go unnoticed by their classmates. Not at all. Anyone with a working brain was able to identify that something was going on, even if they weren't totally sure. It wound up quickly becoming one of the topics bored groups would bring up to add a spark to their dwindling conversations.

"They're in love." Tsuyu was the first one who suggested it to her immediately surrounding classmates at the end of Friday lunch break, in her trademark painfully blunt and straight faced manner. The way she stated it indicated she was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt about it, and that she wasn't just throwing out ideas at random.

Until this point, theories had been limited to an idea that something awkward had happened between the two of them and they were doing their very best to forget that it had ever occurred. Some people rumoured a crush from one side or the other, but Tsuyu was the first person to suggest actual love.

If it was possible for an invisible girl to blush, Hagakure managed it at the simple suggestion, before squealing out and her skirt began to sway from side to side, indicating she was squirming on the spot. Her sleeves of her uniform, now bent, indicated she was clasping her own cheeks. "Kyaaa! Young love!"

Kirishama just laughed, showing off the sharp calcium maulers he had lined in his jaws. "Ah ha, no offence to Midoriya, but uh, I don't think he's the sorta guy a lot of girls would be fawning over. Don't get me wrong, he's manly and all in a fight, and he's a cool guy, but he's kinda a wimp otherwise."

"I think you've got a very limited idea about girls, Kirishama." Tsuyu responded flatly, once again with the wit that characterised her. Her head was rested on her arms on her desk once again, but she was resting it on its side so she could face her group, this time slightly more involved in the conversation due to being the instigator of it.

"I'm with Kirishama on this one." Sero popped up this time, offering his two cents on the discussion. "Guy seems a bit too awkward for anyone to take interest in him. I mean, I sure wouldn't want to get in a fight with him, he'd freakin' scrap me, but like... Look at the damn guy." He pointed behind him with his thumb towards Izuku's desk.

From the perspective of the group, it looked as though Izuku had been taking notes on what they had just finished learning in class, when he looked up and saw the group, whereupon he went scarlet, awkwardly smiled, and waved timidly, nearly robotically, no flow to his movements at all, like a malfunctioning robot. He looked like the biggest damn nerd had just spotted his crush walk through the door in one of those God awful high school soap dramas from the United States with poor translation to Japanese that went up at one in the morning.

"Perhaps Ashido has a liking towards to the socially awkward." Tsuyu suggested only as a half joke. The other half of the Frog girl was wrestling with the possibility of the Acid Quirk user actually being attracted to that particular trait.

"What's this about me now?"

Mina's voice suddenly cut through the conversation, almost naturally slotting herself into the group's discussion without needing to greet them. She dropped her bag on her seat and sat herself down in her desk, the exact opposite way those things were supposed to be placed, and begrudgingly fastened up her white shirts top two buttons and her tie before the next lesson began. More Maths. Joy.

Her sudden appearance had gained her four sets of eyes focused on her, none of them particularly surprised by her random appearance in the group and informal way of joining their chat. They were used to it by now.

"Hey Ashido." Kirishama greeted the pink girl with a wave of his hand. "We're just talking about you and Midoriya dancing around each other all week."

She should have expected it, but still, hearing that their interactions had been noticed by their various classmates still embarrassed Mina, whose cheeks began to light up that lilac colour when she blushed. It was still way too early in the day to be dealing with this. It didn't help that this morning, she'd had to forgo her morning coffee thanks to her sleeping in, so she'd had to use some of her allowance for the week to buy some of the cheap crap they sold in the cafeteria and force that down her neck before she'd gotten to class. She was tired and not in the best of states. That needed to change for tomorrow. She needed a whole lot of caffeine to deal with tomorrow.

"What dancing around?" She asked, feigning ignorance fairly convincingly.

"You two having short conversations, Midoriya trying to keep out of a certain distance from you, the awkward smiles and the blushes from both of you. Eye contact, and those looks across the room you'd give each other when one wasn't looking." Hagakure suggested. When she was given a bunch of looks of surprise that she'd gone into that level of detail, she shrugged and rose on her tip toes, bouncing up slightly, and responding with cheer. "Invisible, remember? You don't know where or when I'm looking~" Since no one had a clue what she'd look like if she wasn't invisible, no one could really picture her with a smug smirk on her face, but everyone knew she must have had one in that moment.

"How exactly was Asui the first one to notice this again?" Kirishama asked with a raised eyebrow. If Hagakure had noticed all of this, why the hell hadn't she mentioned it sooner? Maybe she just didn't connect the dots. Or maybe she liked keeping it to herself, and letting everyone else guess. Maybe she was just having fun.

"You two like one another, don't you?" Tsuyu, for the third time this conversation, was as blunt as humanly possible. She looked up at Mina completely straight faced, showing how serious she was in asking that question.

Mina blushed. Was she really that obvious? She knew Tsuyu was a perceptive girl, but the horned girl liked to think she hid her feelings somewhat well from her classmates. Tellingly, she didn't deny it at all, not because she couldn't think of an excuse, she had truckloads of them, but weirdly, because she didn't want to hide her feelings for Izuku. Even if they weren't... Officially dating, she still wanted to be honest with the feeling she had for him.

She wanted to talk to him, be close to him, hold his hand, hug him and...

And... She blushed again, remembering her bold action at the subway station on Monday. This time harder, the lilac this time far, far more obvious on her cheeks, unmissable to anyone who didn't have a colour-blindness deficiency. She had only chosen to be quiet about her crush on Izuku because she imagined he wouldn't appreciate her spreading any rumours around the place, but instead, she'd been found out. She couldn't decide if that was more embarrassing than her apparently being about as subtle as a freight train or not.

After a few moments of crushing silence in their group, during which the room became noticeably quieter, the chattering of other classmates becoming much easier to hear, the group realised that Tsuyu had hit the nail on the head. Or horn, in this case.

"Wait a second, Asui's right?!" Sero was the one who broken the silence between the group, practically staring at Mina in surprise. In saying so, the canister shaped elbows from which his Quirk activated slipped, causing him to nearly smash his head into his desk, quickly forcing him to readjust himself.

"Told you." Tsuyu croaked with a smile.

Too late to deny it, to cover it up and make an excuse, Mina resigned herself to the teasing and jesting she was destined to receive at the hands of her social group. "D...Damn it." Her lower lips suddenly felt a harsh, sharp pressure, and it wasn't until a few seconds passed that she realised it was her own teeth. "I... I don't know how Midori feels, but..."

And now she let slip her nickname for him.

"She even has a cute nickname for him!" Hagakure's feet seemed to alternate between one being on the ground, and another being half cocked up, flicked at the heel. Cute, boundless energy came in the form of a girl no one could ever really see, rivalled only by Mina's usual enthusiasm.

"Damn, looks like I got it wrong." Kirishama commented, looking like he was holding back a grin. "Midoriya has got eyes on him."

Mina had to avert her eyes from her group, far too flustered to even look any of them in the eye at this point. The temptation to just melt a hole in the floor and fall through it was strong. Sure, from this floor, she'd end up falling in on the third years mock exams, and she'd almost certainly end up with detention, not to mention a bill back home for the damaged that her father would beat her over the head with, but it had to be better than this. That she could deal with.

"Why so embarrassed?" Tsuyu asked, tilting her head to an angle. Concern that her Quirk made difficult to express seeped out with her words, being the only one to actually show some for Mina. "We're at that age. No one gets to choose who they like."

"You got your eye on someone?" Hagakure asked the Frog girl. It was clear that she was enjoying the current conversation, even if her face was never visible, and never would be. To help convey those emotions she felt, she was incredibly dependant on clothing, tone, and body language. Somehow the girl who never had an expression was the most expressive of all class 1-A.

"Not particularly." Tsuyu responded plainly.

Mina sighed. "That doesn't reassure me much." She thanks the various Gods that none of these guys knew that she'd kissed his cheek, or she would just straight up die. Her lilac cheeks were an unusual sight for everyone around her. It took a lot to get her to blush. Cute as seeing the pink girl flustered for once was, the group seemed to understand her emotional state right now.

"I do know there are lots of worse guys to fall for aside from Midoriya though." The dark green girl added on to her statement, sitting up in her desk. "Back in the USJ, he was the only reason me and Mineta even got out of that ambush. Ran to help All Might despite me constantly telling him not to. Then we all saw what he did with Todoroki."

Smiling at the memories that inspired her feelings for Izuku, Mina felt her stress levels simmer down. Her blush was still clear, but it decimated ever so slightly, returning her skin to its normal pigments slowly over time.

"Hey, I'm not saying I've got a problem with it!" Kirishama assured their inhumane looking colleague with a banterous smile.

"Nor do I. It's just... Surprising." Sero agreed with a nod. "Sorry for, y,know, hounding you like that."

The group began to issue a list of sudden apologies their various reactions and prying into Mina's romantic life. She forgave them all before they'd all even issued their individual pleas of forgiveness, since Mina knew that this was, in all honesty, a hole she'd but of her own creation, and no one else was to blame for it. She'd made the choice to kiss Izuku, to make her feelings for him known, and by extension, caused this whole mess. She couldn't blame Tsuyu, Kirishama, or anyone else for noticing it.

They wished her luck, and she thanked them for it. After all, she was going to need every scrap of luck she could get.

* * *

"Yo, Pinky."

Mina's eye subconsciously twitched when she heard her older brother call her by that damned nickname. Ever since she'd revealed to her family that her Hero name was Pinky after her initial idea was shot down, Micha seemed to have forgotten that she ever even had a first name, and just stuck to calling his sister 'Pinky'. It was a limitless source of entertainment for him. He was way too easy to please.

"Yeah?"

"Mind if I come in?"

"Sure."

Her brother opened her heavily decorated door, and stepped into the haphazard mess that was Ashido Mina's room. Cleanliness wasn't missed on her... She just darted from one thing to another far too quickly to ever consider putting something away. She knew her room was a mess, but she just didn't care. As he attempted to open to door, Micha ended up slamming to door into a pile of clothes near the entrance. He had to squeeze in through the gap he had created in order to enter the room.

"You ever think of cleaning up in here?" Micha asked, glancing around, carefully treading between the small gaps of floor he could find. He wasn't exactly a neat freak himself, but his room at least had walking space. The amount of junk around the place was so maddening, he wondered how Mina even got from point A to B without breaking something, or herself.

"No time. What d'you want bro?" Mina was currently standing over her bed, looking at thee selected outfits she'd decided she'd want to wear when she met with Izuku in a few hours. Considering everything, she knew that this was going to be pretty much an all or nothing sort of day out. Just thinking about it flustered her.

Micha shrugged. "Nothing much. Mom wanted to know what you feel like having for dinner. She's trying out another one of those freakin' variants again, so if you chose Natto again, I'm gonna melt everything in here."

"I'll dissolve you if you even try it." Mina grinned in response. She knew her brother wasn't serious, but they had these sorts or back and forth spats, mostly as their way of showing affection. They shared a similar Quirk, which had led to them having a fairly close bond. Micha's Quirk was called Meltdown, and it allowed him to cause any object he touched to melt, as long as he willed for it to happen. With his sort of Quirk, it was a wonder he hadn't been accepted into Yuuei. Still, he expressed pride in his sister for managing to do it, even if he was a bit jealous of her.

"Well, you gonna answer or what?" He asked, his arms folded. Only once he asked this question did he notice that Mina was inspecting different clothes on her bed. All of them were relatively skimpy and revealing, but they did the job well enough. He wasn't unused to seeing his sister go about with a lack of modesty. That was just her style, but he didn't actually know that she had plans. With a joking smile, he asked, "What's with the get-up? Hot date lined up?"

Mina blushed. There was no way in hell Micha knew that she was meeting Izuku. She'd guarded her phone with her freaking life since they had exchanged those messages. No one knew about the self-proclaimed date Mina was about to go on with Izuku. Her brother was just teasing. But even so, the fact he was so spot on caused her to erupt in embarrassment.

"Holy crap, you actually do have a hot date lined up." Micha repeated himself with a look of surprise. His lips suddenly curled into a smug grin. "My little sisters growing up."

For the first time since he had entered the room, Mina looked at her brother with a panicked expression. Her hands clapped together, like she was about to go into prayer, and she bowed her head so her horns were pointed directly at him. "Please Micha, for God's sake, don't tell anyone."

"Chill, I won't, I won't, don't worry." He smirked, having to hold back a laugh at the inevitable number of jokes he had to be creating inside his head. His lips were pursed like he'd bitten into a sour lemon, all in an effort to stop himself bursting out in laughter at his sister's sudden embarrassment. "So, who's the lucky guy? Or girl? Or intermediary?"

"Guy." Mina sighed. She knew her brother wouldn't let her leave until she spilled the truth, so she decided to just get it over with. "H-His names Midoriya Izuku..."

"Sounds boring as hell." Micha dismissed practically immediately, an action that slightly pissed off Mina. "When you meeting him?"

"At one..."

"Guess that explains the clothes then. What're you going with?"

Picking up two of the outfits, one in each hand, Mina showed him the two she was torn between. One was a very similar variant of the clothes she had worn when she first went out with Izuku, except the black shirt no longer had the word 'Acid' sprawled all over it. Instead, it was completely plain black. That aside, it was basically the same combination of clothes that she'd worn.

The next set was a lot less revealing, but gave the same sort of vibe that the previous one gave. It constituted a dark red jacket with white lines going down the arm's length and to her wrists, covering up a plain white shirt. Along with this, there was a dark blue skirt that cut off just a bit above Mina's knees, covering up her toned thighs. Accompanying the outfit was a pair of knee high white socks that would cover up her calves and shins.

"I dunno... I like this," Mina held up the first, skimpier outfit a bit higher than the other second choice. "But I already met him in something like this," Micha gave her a weird look. "Don't ask. Anyway, I like it, but I kinda wanna show I'm putting in some effort to mix it up a little. And this one," She lowered the first outfit, and held up the second one. "I like it... But I dunno. I don't think red best suits me. Not with my complexion... What d'ya think?"

"I'd say go with the second one." Micha answered without hesitation. "You can wear the jacket around your waist if you're not keen on it, and it'll be good if it gets cold out. Better to have it and not need it."

The logic was there, so Mina nodded. Her brother hadn't led her wrong before, so she trusted his judgement, and decided upon the red jacket combination, in spite of her previous misgivings about it. She gave him a warm smile. "You always give me good advice."

"Well, you always help me when I go on dates with Kiro-chan."

"That's cause you're useless at picking your own clothes, big bro." Mina teased, remembering how her brother once thought it was acceptable to go out on a date to a restaurant in his part time jobs messy clothes. She felt the need to confess to her brother the true nature of her meeting with Izuku, if only so he had the needed context. "And uh... This isn't really a 'date' date... It's... Well, I said it was a date, but I don't think Midori fully believed me..."

"So he's not quite your boyfriend yet?"

Mina shook her head solemnly. "Nu-uh... I mean... We've hung out, and we're close and all... He lets me call him by his first name... But we've only really known each other for a few weeks..."

"Do you love him?"

Another wave of embarrassment made its way throughout Mina. It was so embarrassing to admit it, but she felt like she did. She felt like she had really fallen hard for Izuku. Even if it started out as just admiration and respect, it had quickly grown into something far deeper than that. Something a lot more close to her heart.

But to answer the question outright was nearly impossible for the young girl to do. Instead, she tried to answer it without answering. "I... May have kissed him on the cheek..."

"You work fast." Micha grinned. He could clearly sense the questionable stability of Mina's state of mind right now, filled with both doubt and confidence cancelling one another out, until she remained an unsure mess. She was second guessing herself, because of the kiss she'd just confessed to gifting her crush. An impulsive move that she made in the heat of the moment that she didn't know what to think of now. He sympathised with her, remembering when he'd done something similar with his current girlfriend. Resting his hand on her pink shoulder, he reassured her through physical contact. "Mind if I make a suggestion, sis?"

"Go ahead." Mina nodded.

"If you love the guy, let him know. Get it out there. If he's close enough to let you use his first name, he must like you back." Mina's eyes could have watered there and then if she didn't already know her brother was such a sap. But his genuine advice made her smile. He suddenly reached into his pocket and produced several wads of cash, which he handed to her. "My sister has a good taste in guys, I'm sure of it, so go out, have fun, come back tonight and tell me all about the new boyfriend, 'kay, Pinky?"

Punching her brother's chest lightly as punishment for his nickname for her, and then bumping fists with him, Mina smiled. Truly, her brother might be a perverse game junkie who drove her up the wall at times, but she wouldn't trade him for the world. "'Kay!"

"So, you want me to tell Mom you're gonna be out munching on some dude or something?"

If Mina's face hadn't been lilac before, it was now, more than ever. Her entire body began to erupt in the dark colour at the implication. Truly, the Ashido bloodline was the bluntest there was in all of Japan! "M-Micha!"

* * *

Izuku was practically shaking in his shoes while he waited for Mina to arrive. He had been seriously tempted to make up some sort of excuse not to come, to avoid this date in whatever ways he could manage to come up with. This date had been messing with his head all week, making him too flustered to think straight. This date had been all he could think about, and how he could only dread and anticipate it simultaneously! This date, this date!

His body went to high temperatures when he remembered that word. Date. This was a date. His first date. And it was with Mina. Mina!

His clothes once again were casual sorts. This time, instead of sporting the colour green, he was now dressed in the colour blue, his jacket matching the scheme he was going for, dark navy coloured. Underneath said jackets zipper was his favourite shirt, a white one that had the kanji for 'Hero' on it, across his well-built chest. His jeans were a lighter navy shade than his jacket was, leaning more towards neutral blue than any darker shade.

Suddenly, he found himself wondering, and throwing himself into paranoid hysterics. Was he underdressed? Was he overdressed? Would his choice in clothing interfere with what Mina had planned? Or was he supposed to be the one coming up with the plan? Did he have enough money on him? In fact, scratch that, did he even have any money on him?! He patted his jean pockets to remember that yes, he had brought money. How much? About ¥5,500. Would that be enough?

The prospect that he was going on a date with Mina far outshone any insecurities he might have had when standing outside these same gates a few weeks ago regarding his position at Yuuei. That was the last thing that he was thinking about right now. The second thing being what the hell he was going to do if he messed up on this date and made him and Mina look like total idiots.

The first was on that kiss Mina had given him.

He had thought about it a lot. A whole lot. He hadn't even come close to considering the possibility that she would have done such a thing throughout the entirety of their interactions together...

But he would be lying to say he didn't like it. Just the opposite in fact.

Throughout their journey that day, the two had been closer than they had ever been before. Not only physically, but emotionally too. She'd told him how glad she was to have met him... And he was glad that he'd met her too. His heart had never beaten so hard in all his life, and it hadn't stopped until the next day. When she rested on his shoulder, and he'd wrapped his arm around her to hold her closer, he'd been able to feel the wonderful warmth from her body, and the beautiful scent from her hair. It had been impossible for him to not smile. Being around Mina made him feel good. Happy. Better than ever before.

Had he fallen for her without realising it?

When he was confronted with that prospect... He couldn't say he disliked it. After all, Mina was kind, she was funny. She was fun to be around, and she was cute. Her skin was bizarre, yes, but it wasn't enough to bother him. That, her eyes, and her horns all accessories to her uniqueness. But above all that was the energetic and compassionate personality that made Mina herself.

And Mina was an amazing person...

And she'd kissed him... And he'd... Liked that. He had liked being kissed by Mina. And in spite of never, ever being able to ask for such a thing, he wanted it to happen again. He wanted Mina to kiss him again... Or God forbid, let him kiss her.

Did that mean that he liked her?... He supposed that it did.

He liked Mina.

The thought made him blush. He liked Mina. And he was going on a date with her today! He was going on a date with the girl he liked! Could he be anymore lucky?! Such a prospect made him more excited than when he first acquired One For All, and wasn't that a weird thought? A few hours with this girl excited him more than the prospect of acquiring his own Quirk, of following his childhood dream! Though he would never have been able to do either of those things without One For All. It all came full circle, all because of his passed down Quirk. He sent another mental thank you note to All Might, number five-hundred-and-fifty-two.

"Midori."

Once again, he'd been too wrapped up in his thinking to even notice that he was being approached by someone. He recognised the voice instantly, its sudden appearance sent him shooting upright to face her.

"M-Mina-san."

The Acidic girl smiled right at him, that cute smile Izuku had identified made his heart race, as well as the fact that between them, there was maybe a meters worth of space. Mina really did hold little to no concept of personal space didn't she?

Izuku was frozen in place for a few seconds, with a look that couldn't quite decide if it was a smile or a cry for help, instead achieving neither, and making him look wobbly with his half lopsided up, and half lopsided down grin. He couldn't have looked more like an idiot if someone paid him to try.

Both of the Yuuei students kept their respective expressions and stared at one another for a few seconds, making it look like the daftest version of a staring contest ever devised to any passers-by. After a few second, Mina couldn't help herself anymore, and burst out into hysterics, clutching her sides, unable to suppress her amusement at the face Izuku was making right now. In turn, her laughter infected Izuku, making him follow suite, laughing at the awkward situation both of them had found themselves in. Barely a minute since she'd arrived, and already Izuku couldn't stop himself from grinning and laughing!

"I, I'm sorry!" Mina cried, trying her best to stop herself giggling. "B-But, what was that? Pffft!" She flew onto another round of chortles. That face! She couldn't help it!

"I have no idea!" Under any other circumstance, Izuku would be hiding his face in sheer humiliation, but with Mina, he couldn't stop himself from laughing alongside her. Her laughter really was like a virus - Put it in the right conditions, and it would spread like a wildfire.

Their mutual awkwardness laughed off after a solid minute of therapeutic chuckling, both of them felt any anxiety and nervousness they had melt away into the waste side. The ice had been utterly obliterated, leaving both of them to face the other without a sense of dread or fear.

"Oh-ho... Ha ha, okay, alright." The pink girl breathed, finding herself leaning on Izuku's shoulder, who was in turn leaning on her, fluster for their closeness non-existent. She took a few deep breaths, through which a few chuckles escaped, but she managed to compose herself. "W-Well, that was the stupidest thing ever."

The green haired boy smiled. It had been stupid. A very dumb thing to laugh like that over, but he couldn't give a damn about that. He was happy. About two minutes ago, if you'd asked him how he was feeling about the day, he would have responded with absolute terror, stress, and an abnormal mixture of excitement. Now he was just excited, enthusiastic and looking forward for the next few hours ahead of him. "It's good to see you, Mina."

"Aw, how sweet." She responded with a tease, pulling away from him so she could see his smile, and show her hers. The young girl bounced up on her toes until she was level with his height, and showed him her rows of white teeth as she gave him the traditional Ashido grin. "It's good to see you too, Izuku."

Formalities dispensed with, both of them began making their way towards the city, their day beginning in earnest. They engaged in conversation like they would have done every other day, had the awkwardness not been hanging over them for the past week. It was nice to just get back to the usual way they spoke. Izuku even managed to get rid of most of his stutter, that's how good he was feeling about today.

"So... What's the... Plan?" Izuku asked eventually, breaking a small lull in the conversation. They still had a short while to go before they wound up in Tokyo, to the location where Mina had suggested that they head to first, and what they were going to do for the whole day hadn't really been established.

"Well, first I thought we could go to this cool little store called 'Shake' and get some milkshakes from there." From the raised eyebrow Izuku gave her, Mina figured that he'd never even heard of the store before. That made her smile. She'd get to be the one to introduce him to its wonders. "You'll like it, trust me. After that... I... I dunno." Mina blinked rapidly, realising she had absolutely no idea what there was to do. "I've uh... Never really been on a date before."

That word again... "S-So... This really is a d-date?" Izuku asked, sweating lightly from his forehead, as he averted his eyes to the side, so he didn't have to look directly at Mina.

"Well... Yeah. I mean... Unless you don't want it to be." The energetic girl responded in uncharacteristic reservation, her hands falling to her side rigidly, so they wouldn't sway at all from her thighs.

"That - That's not it! I was just - "

"Great!" Mina practically did a little jump into the air, without waiting for Izuku to finish his sentence. Not waiting to really consider the possible backlash, Mina reached out and clasped hold of Izuku's hand and intertwined her fingers with his, holding onto his warm palm and firmly joining it with hers, zeal taking over her thinking. "Well, I guess we'll figure out what we'll do on the way! It'll be fun!"

Izuku blushed, watching the pink and pale hands touch and hang on to one another. He was tempted to pull away in embarrassment, if it wasn't for two key facts.

The first fact was it was her hand. It was Mina's hand he was holding now, and he didn't mind that at all. Just the fact it was her hand, her fingers, and that it was just her that he was holding, meant that he liked it. The second fact was that, for the first time, he was experiencing real, genuine skin contact with Mina. Even the train ride on Monday hadn't been close to this. That had all been through clothing, but right now, he was being given the simply joy of feeling Mina's skin in his hands.

And her skin was warm and soft.

* * *

Izuku hadn't ever been to a place like Shake before. It was a small cafe-like shop, with a rustic feel to it, ran by college students. It gave more of an air to a collage dorm room than a store, with its fliers, posters, and haphazard seating arrangements throughout the store, not to mention its small size. Mina appeared to be on first person terms with the staff, in part, she claimed, was because of her constant visits here. She told Izuku that this was probably her favourite place to get refreshments in the middle of the summer. The staff beamed with pride at her from behind the counter upon hearing this.

Milkshakes was what this place apparently was well known for, allowing its customers to select a large variety of candies to be made into a cool summers drink. Mina ordered one that was made from a chocolate bar called a Bueno, which she said was her absolute favourite. Since he had no reference of what to choose, Izuku ordered one of the same. The creation of said milkshakes involved taking four of the chosen chocolate bars, breaking them up, throwing them into a blender, alongside a carton of milk and two dollops of ice cream. The next step was to blend it all up and serve it, cold enough to give you brain-freeze.

Around the fifth stage of this creative process, Izuku began to regret his choices in ordering. Quite frankly, anything involving ice cream, milk, and a candy bar that had some sort of thick cream filling mixed into one, there was no way in hell that this wasn't going to upset his stomach. If this was how traditional milkshakes were made, he was glad he'd not seen it happen before, but here, you could see the vendors preparing everything very clearly.

Mina was able to tuck into hers without even the slightest care in the world, already having gotten a quarter of it down her neck before Izuku's even arrived. When his did get delivered too him, he stopped to take a proper look at it. It was a mostly white, but slightly grey semi solid, thick goo type sort of thing, with a thousand tiny dots, all dark brown, scattered around the mass of it. It looked like some sort of infected desert.

Which is why it surprised Izuku that the concoction was actually immensely tasty. He'd never even tried something remotely similar, but it tickled his throat, bursting with flavour in spite of the coldness it had. He had to stop for a second to actually comprehend how something that looked like thrown up paint actually was as delicious as it was. "This is... Actually really nice."

"Told ya." Mina cheerfully sipped on her own drink. "This place is the best! I must come here once a week at least."

"I can see why." Izuku smiled. Mina had good taste. Somehow that knowledge made him feel a lot calmer about the date. He felt his heart skip a beat, for no particular reason, other than just being here with this girl.

With a small sigh, Mina stopped guzzling down her milkshake for a second, taking the straw from her mouth and putting the transparent plastic cup on the table. She then clapped her fingertips together and smirked. "So! Here's a fun game! What d'you thinks the weirdest thing about me?"

"W-Wait, what?"

"I've spent a ton of time going over why you're weird." Mina grinned. "Now I know about your Quirk and all, you make a lotta sense to me. You're a bit too polite to bring it up, but know I don't exactly look like the most typical person around, so you must have noticed something about me you think is odd. Doesn't seem too fair that I've got to remind you over and over how bizarre you are and you're so quiet about me. So, go ahead, fire away."

For the most part, Izuku never really even considered her to look inhumane. Unique, yes, but not inhumane. Quirks affected every single person differently, so he never really took any physical alterations into consideration, especially not since he was in Class 1-A, where the only typical looking people there were himself, Bakugou and Yaoyorozu. Everyone else had some sort of physical ailment that made them look unique compared to everyone else, from Kaminari's natural black highlights, Uraraka's finger pads, Kirishama's sharp teeth, and so on.

Aside from being impolite, Izuku had just never even really thought to ask. There were things he wanted to know, things he would pry into when his curiosity over rid his brain, but he never really thought about the outward look of Mina as something he wanted to know more about. On further inspection of Mina though, he did have one question he wanted to ask about her appearance. "Y-You're sure its okay to ask?"

"Go ahead, Midori."

"The uh... Your horns." He said. "I uh, I get the skin colour being pink, and your eyes being black. That's because of your Quirk. That all makes sense to me... But why the horns? How did - How did you get those?" Having a Quirk like Acid, there shouldn't be a reason for her to have horns as a part of her anatomy, yet here she was with them, for no explained reason. If Izuku wanted to know one thing, it was why she had those.

"These?" Mina grabbed her left horn with the corresponding hand and tugged on it. "Oh, these're just from my dad's Quirk. He can grow horns out of the top of his head and then retract them. They're a lot sharper than mine though. Guess I inherited them, only blunter. And can't get rid of them. They make conditioning my hair a pain." She smiled. "You wanna feel 'em?"

Izuku blushed. "Wh - Wha?!"

"I asked if you wanna feel 'em." Mina repeated, leaning a bit over the table and tilting her head so her extremities pointed towards him. "Go for it. So long as you don't yank them out, it's fine."

The green haired boy suddenly felt like he was being asked to do something very, very weird, but he couldn't deny the curiosity he felt. And Mina was offering, right? It would be rude to decline, wouldn't it? Right? That made sense, didn't it?

Hesitantly, he reached his right hand out towards the girls head, lightly tapping the right horn on her head. The yellow addition to her skull felt smooth at the touch, and Mina didn't make any sort of resistance to his actions, he gently ran his fingers along the length, and along the curve at the top. On closer inspection, he was able to feel hundreds of tiny dips, rings more accurately, that ran along her horns. They were small indentations though, not enough to notice if you weren't looking for them, still being smooth all the while.

In spite of any reservations he might have had in engaging in this sort of action, Izuku wouldn't deny, he did find the affect Quirks had on human anatomy to be weirdly fascinating. Being totally human with no obvious visual traits was becoming a minority as time went along, and being born Quirkless, he had none himself. It made this sort of thing -

"C-Careful, I-Izuku... Th-those are sensitive..."

Izuku stopped, his eyes shot wide open, and he pulled his hand back from Mina's head like he'd just pulled the pin off a grenade and had about three seconds to run for his life. What had he just done?! Holy crap, his face was burning, scorching hot! "I-I'm s-s-s-sorry, M-M-Mina, I-I-I-I didn't - !"

Suddenly, Mina was in complete hysterics again, barely even making any sort of effort to hide her loud laughter despite being in public. The staff workers were chuckling to themselves as well, while Mina was just clutching her sides with laughter. "Y-You dork, Izuku!"

"Wh - What?"

"My horns are made of bone, dummy!" Mina laughed again, flicking the horn Izuku had been running his hands along, and hard enough for Izuku to hear a hollow echo come from them. "I can't feel anything like your hands touching them. I thought you were smart!" She burst into another fit of giggles.

Part of Izuku almost wanted to feel offended, while he took an embarrassed sip of his milkshake to cool him down. That had been a bit uncalled for, hadn't it? Had there really been a need to trick him like that? But he couldn't help but laugh at the situation himself. Mina probably had been planning on this from the second she asked him to name one oddity about her, of which she had a great many.

The two of them made their way out of the store later on, Mina apologising for her little prank, still unable to suppress the smile on her lips as she did so. Izuku took it in good nature, and told her not to worry about it, that it was okay. He still felt a little embarrassed by it, but the joke hadn't hurt anyone, had it? It wasn't a big deal.

In apology, Mina slipped her hand into Izuku's once again, and began to drag him through the streets again, having another place she wanted to show him in mind.

One thing that Mina lacked was patience, it seemed. Whenever she wanted to go somewhere, or show Izuku something, she'd lead him there at mac speed, and nearly wound up just tugging him from along the ground in doing so. She didn't want to waste any time, since her gap was limited to just today to have as much fun as physically possible with him before she wound up dropping the bombshell that she liked him. Of course, if he didn't know she liked him by now, he'd have to be an absolute idiot.

Which was why she had something a bit different in mind this time. Not much different, but it could make all the difference.

Dismally though, the road - The main one, that would take the least amount of time to get to where she wanted to go, was blocked off because of yet another Villain attack. Further down the road, she could see three, maybe four figures battling it out, but as for where she was, there was a huge crowd of people trying to get information from the police and Villain custody squad about when the roads would be open, what alternatives they could take, and statements from the officers that they could give to their bosses. People were all around on their mobile devices, sending text messages or having actual phone conversations to loved ones or workmates, explaining why they were going to be late yet again.

Mina groaned and tugged at her hair. "Oh come ooooooon! How many Villains even live in this freakin' city?"

Unlike her, Izuku was actually enjoying the scene play out in front of him. With his pretty good eyesight, he was able to make out the identities of the Heroes who were fighting the Villains just a bit further down the street. Longitude, the Distance Hero, and Exorcist, the Exorcising Hero. He'd made notes on them in his 'Preparation for my future' notepads, numbers five and eleven respectively, but seeing them in actual action was certainly a step up from seeing them on the internet.

"This is awesome!" He was almost drooling. That fanboy that still resided in him whenever he saw a Hero he'd only ever seen behind a screen before came to surface, evidenced when his eyes began to sparkle and his hands became tight fists underneath his chin. While he was doing all of this however, he was still trying to reclaim his lost breath from the run he'd been dragged on by Mina, who seemed to be totally fine. That energy she had certainly seemed to come in handy.

"Gaaah, this isn't what I had in mind though..." The Pink girl sighed in frustration, kicking the tarmac beneath her lightly, so that a single pebble darted along the sealed off road. "Why are there Villains every time we try and do something?..."

"Well... Technically this is only the second time we've hung out..." Izuku muttered to himself, mentally admitting that yes, that did actually constitute a one-hundred percent Villain rate, before he looked over at Mina, who he could tell was actually rather upset by this development. "H-Hey Mina? What's wrong?" He squeezed her shoulder gently with his left hand, his right still being grabbed by Mina's left, letting her know her was still there.

"Nothin'... I forgot you liked this sorta stuff." She tried to sound cheerful, but she wasn't fooling Izuku. He'd already engaged his 'Prying into someone else's business so he could help them feel better' mode.

"Don't you?"

"I do... It's just..." Mina sighed, figuring that Izuku wouldn't let this drop until she told him. He respected that about him, of course... But she hadn't wanted a situation to arise where he'd have to do that today. Especially not for her. We've only got so long today, y'know? I... I wanted it to be non-stop fun-time... And it's already gotten cut down thanks to those jerks down there." She pointed vaguely down the street, not sure if she was pointing at the police, the Villain Custody service, the Heroes, or the Villains.

There was something about the genuine remorse of her voice that made Izuku smile without even meaning to. He had a... Fairly good idea on how Mina felt, even if the concept was simply too boggling to the mind for him to fully even accept, acknowledge, or even consider the possibility of it being true. Like he wasn't physically capable of considering it a viable explanation... But if it were true...

"Mina..." He quietly said, holding onto her hand tighter. "You make it sound like I'm upset that this sort of thing happens when I'm with you."

"It upsets me..."

"It shouldn't though." He rested his head on the shorter girls shoulder. A bold action, given his personality. It seemed to catch Mina off guard too, since her head snapped to face him like she'd broken free from her chains. "It's only because of you that we're even hanging out like this... And... And just being around you makes me happy, Mina..."

Lightly blushing, Mina couldn't stop the smile she had been determined to keep as a frown from forming. Izuku might be an awkward nerd who had the weirdest Quirk known to the history of the human race, but no one had ever made Mina smile as much in her whole life.

"So you're a sweet-talker too?" She joked, resting her head atop his head lightly, their roles reversed from when they were on the train together. Neither had any intention of moving anytime soon, so she made herself comfortable. His hair was surprisingly soft and fluffy, rivalling her own.

"You don't need to keep running around like you do. I... I want to enjoy today too... But if it's just a huge blur... Then there isn't a point, is there... I want to remember today... A-and it's not like... We won't get to do this again..." Suddenly, Izuku went scarlet. Had he just basically confessed to not wanting to be the only date that the two of them had? His heart stopped as he awaited Mina's response, praying he hadn't screwed this up.

She didn't move, or say anything for a few moments, before she seemed to bury her head more into his long, curly hair. When she did speak, her voice seemed to be a lot calmer, a lot happier. If Izuku could have seen her face in that moment, he would have seen the single prettiest smile he had ever seen in his entire life. "...I guess you're right."

* * *

"Damn, Midori, you really are a bit of an expert at arcade games aren't you?" Mina laughed, helping him out of the brightly lit building by supporting his weight, his arm around her neck and her hand on his chest to prevent him from falling flat on his face.

"My... My legs... Feel... Like they're on fire, Mina." Izuku gasped for breath, his throat dryer than sand, every muscle that he used to walk felt like it had swollen to insane levels. Of course, they hadn't. They were just insanely exhausted, but damned if he was thinking logically at this point.

As the two of them had waited for the Heroes to finish dealing with the Villains at the blockade, police had informed the growing group of commuters that a route around the fight had been declared a safe zone, and travel could begin heading down there immediately. In contrast to everyone around them, and indeed themselves just a half hour ago, Izuku and Mina walked at a regular pace, taking their time to get to their destination. There was no rush. No need to hurry along. Izuku's words reminded Mina that there wasn't a need to hurry along.

When they reached an arcade again, Izuku had to wonder if Mina wasn't just looking for revenge for the last time he beat her at a game, until he realised that this was a different store, and it didn't have the game they had played last time.

Instead, Mina had pulled him over to the Dance Dance Revolution set, pushed him onto one of the stands, and it was only then that Izuku pieced together just what it was she was expecting him to do. As one would have expected from him, he'd never even touched this game in his entire life, never as much as watched someone else play it, and he had absolutely no clue what the hell he was supposed to do here. He managed to figure out that the game would send up arrows for him to give direction, and on the floor surrounding him, were arrows of the same kind. He pieced together that when the command came up on the screen, he was supposed to hit the corresponding arrow with his feet, by 'Dancing' to the beat of the music.

Mina had stood on the other stand, and they seemed to have gathered a bit of a crowd around them while the smirking girl inserted some coins, wishing Izuku the best of luck with a flirtatious wink, and a thumbs up. He could have sworn that the only reason this girl enjoyed arcades was because they made the perfect place for her to make him look like an idiot.

He had been slow to get the hang of it, having to take a few bad scores before he memorised where all of the arrow pads on the floor were, before to the shock of Mina, he was tearing the floor the hell up. He was actually keeping ahead of Mina's score, and Mina had to have logged in well over a hundred hours of this game in her lifetime. He was either a quick learner, talented dancer, or he had a competitive streak when it came to games. Or to Mina. Either way, the adrenaline was pumping, the music playing, and Izuku was getting more and more into the game the more he played! For being so reserved, he was swaying his arms in time with the beat alongside Mina, the pair looking like a set of synchronised dancers as they copied the silhouette of the dancer on the black screen. It was exhausting, and exhilarating all at once! Izuku couldn't help but laugh as he and his date tore up the dance floor to a cheering crowd and a high beat dance track!

Unlike Mina, however, his thighs were not as well built, and as such, he'd managed to feel like he'd doused his lower half in gasoline. By the time the dance finished, and Izuku had claimed victory from Mina in another one of her favourite arcade machine games - Not that Mina was bitter, of course not - he collapsed on the spot, covered in sweat and barely able to move anymore. Mina had helped him up with an amused smile, and wrapped his arm around her neck to keep him upright.

This marked the second time Izuku had beaten her at arcade games she had thought she was pretty good at. She was starting to develop an inferiority complex, she joked inside her head.

"Come on, you." She smiled, leading him outside. "Let's get you something to drink before you pass out." He wasn't designed for that sort of stuff, but he seemed to have enjoyed it. Though she couldn't think of a situation where she thought she saw someone in more dire need of a drink in her entire life.

"You're really pretty, Mina..." The green haired boy suddenly said, almost slurred. He was still pretty clearly conscious, and wasn't on the verge of slipping out of it, but he wasn't thinking as clearly as he might normally do, given the adrenaline that had just coursed throughout his veins.

"Did you just become delirious, Midori?"

"A little, I think..." He joked. It didn't surprise Mina. It had happened to her a few times when she first tried it. A few dances in front of that machine and you felt like you could take on the whole God damn world with one arm tied behind your back, and a ball and chain fastened to the throat.

But she did like the idea that Izuku thought she was pretty. The concept that someone found her to be pretty, despite every single physical imperfection that she had, was a heart-warming one. She never really put too much stock in her appearance, since she was a bundle of energy that zoomed from one activity to the other, she rarely had time, nor felt the need to try and doll herself up. It made her smile and giggle lightly at his half-lucid state.

Eventually finding a free bench, Mina placed Izuku down, and using the money her brother had given her, purchased a couple of soda cans. One for herself, and one for the very clearly desperate boy. She opened up the can for him, and passed it over, which he took and guzzled down his neck nearly in one go. Caffeine and refreshments now in his system, he looked a whole lot livelier than he previously did. His eyes even seemed to burst open wide after he nearly finished his can in one go, like he'd just come back to life. He took a few deep breaths, and looked up at Mina, who was quietly sipping on her own drink, amused by the state he was in. "Thanks... I - I needed that..."

"No problem, Dance Dance king."

In between gasps for breath, Izuku managed to smile somewhat. "I... I didn't... I don't even know how I did that. I've never even played... That sort of thing before."

"Maybe you've got a hidden dancer in you." Mina suggested, sitting next to him.

"I - I guess..."

Since Izuku was beyond done when it came to any sort of physical activity at this point, Mina asked if he wanted to try and find a less physically demanding thing to do, for his benefit, which he readily agreed to. He wound up suggesting a bookstore or something a bit more calming. Mina accepted this idea. She was thankful, because honestly, she hadn't expected Izuku to go as full speed ahead with his attempt at the classical dancing game and wound up with legs that were one step away from turning into lava. She'd come up with a few more ideas during the travel time, but they were gone now that Izuku didn't seem up to any strained activity. While he was fine with walking now, he sure wasn't going to be able to break into a sprint anytime soon.

He apologized for it again and again, but Mina assured him it was no worry, actually finding it really amusing that he was this continuously good at one - upping her. Perhaps he had a hidden competitive streak, especially when it came to her. She vowed that she'd find something she could beat him at someday.

They eventually found a large bookstore not too far away from the arcade they had just gone to. And it was large indeed, with two whole floors to it, and shelves and shelves lined with books of all sorts, from novels, to textbooks, to autobiographies, to manga, light novels and comics. Literally thousands upon thousands of books inhabited this store of all kinds. Anyone who knew how to read would find something that appealed to them in this establishment

Mina wasn't even in the slightest bit of shock when Izuku found himself in the section that held all the comics. Somehow she'd managed to guess that on top of generally being obsessed with everything to do with Heroes, he'd be a huge comic fan to boot. She'd just managed to get that impression from him without him ever having to say a word about it.

What did cause Izuku some surprise though was to learn Mina had a particular fondness for light novels and Manga. Since both sections were basically next to one another, neither of them could attempt to hide their interest in their preferred literature, no matter how loose that definition might be to some.

"Huh… I didn't know you liked this sort of thing, Mina." Izuku pondered aloud, leaning slightly over her shoulder to get a better look at the cover and the pages. From what he could gather, it seemed to be a story set in a world where people used magic as opposed to Quirks, and how small groups of wizards would form guilds in order to do jobs in exchange for money, sort of like Heroes for hire.

"Yeah." The pink girl smiled, skimming through a few more pages of the book. "My older brother buys a lot of this sort of thing, so I sometimes borrow some of his collection and read through what he has. I've kind of got a little soft spot for them by now, y'know?" She grinned and nodded towards the comics that Izuku had in his hands. "Somehow, I'm not too shocked to see you buying comics though, Midori."

"I uh… I used to read them a whole lot when I was younger… I haven't really had a whole lot of time to just sit down and read some since I started attending Yuuei." He admitted with a sheepish grin of his own, like he was embarrassed to admit it.

Craning her head to get a better look, the acidic girl recognized the covers that Izuku was holding. "Those're the ones that were set when the world was first getting Quirks, right? The ones where the public really hate the people who had Quirks, and the first people who became Heroes to try and change the people's minds about them, yeah? My brother has a few issues of that series."

Clearly, Izuku was taken aback by her surprising amount of knowledge regarding the kinds of reading materials that he liked. He didn't really have much to say, since she was completely spot on with her deductions. "Y-Yeah… I'm surprised that you know about this sort of stuff…"

"I'm full of surprises, Midori." Mina winked. "We're both kinda nerds about this sort of stuff, huh?"

Izuku offered to pay for the books, since Mina had been paying for basically everything up until this point. It ended up eating into a large amount of his money, but he didn't really care. With both of them each armed with a bag filled with their newly purchased belongings, they both made their way out of the store, and back onto the streets. This time, they had no location to go to. Nowhere that they wanted to really visit. No where they could think of going or anything that they could think of doing. So they just wondered around the city, doing anything that managed to catch their eye.

Ending up in a game store at one point, they tried out the free demonstration of one of the new games Mina's brother had inevitably pre-ordered. This time, Mina clobbered Izuku's score into the absolute dirt and then some, and she cheered a bit too loudly at her victory. A few sets of eyes focused in on them, which caused the green haired boy some distress, not that Mina particularly cared for the looks they were receiving.

At another point, they wound up in a record store, Mina insisting that Izuku come over and listen to one of her favourite tracks that she had found. An old pop-rock record from a Korean group, and although he couldn't understand a word of what was being said, Izuku couldn't help but tap his foot to the rhythm of the song and the lyrics of the language he didn't speak.

They wound up getting small bites to eat here and there as they explored and enjoyed one another's company. At no point throughout the day did they ever stop enjoying themselves. Eventually, however, they found themselves in a park on the edge of the city, watching the sunset go down. The park was empty, no one around, the kids all having been called home by their parents and guardians, and the area around them mostly deserted.

On his lap, Izuku was just glancing over some of the comics he'd purchased, wondering just what sorts of adventures the Heroes of these issues would be getting into throughout the next set of pages. He saw that Mina was going the same, rereading the blurbs of the books he'd purchased for her for maybe the fifth time.

There seemed to be some sort of worry in Mina's expression, a weak curl on her lips, and only half of her focus seemed to actually be on reading the words on her book. Izuku couldn't see her iris moving whatsoever, rather they were just stationary, like she had zoned out. Further inspection showed that she wasn't holding onto her books with much of a firm grip, rather, they were loose in her hands.

Was something bothering her?

"Hey, Mina." Izuku said, lightly tapping her shoulder, getting her attention. She tore her eyes away from the back of the book to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Thanks. For today… I've really had a lot of fun hanging out with you. More fun than I ever thought I could have doing something like this. So thank you."

Mina smiled shyly and looked at her own lap, a faint blush on her face. "I'm glad… I'm honestly still sort of surprised that you agreed to do this after… What I did."

"O-oh…"

Conversation abruptly dropped then, as the kiss came back into their memories. It had barely just slipped Izuku's mind before Mina had brought it back up again. He didn't know why she brought it up now though. It seemed… Like an odd thing to do. Was it… Guilt?

"M-Mina?... Could – Could I ask you something?" He asked, a waver in his voice easily detectable. He hadn't been too nervous all day with her, but now that he was, it became oh so much more obvious that it was painful.

Mina nodded softly, without looking at him. "Sure. Ask away."

"…Why did you do it?" He felt like he could already predict the answer, egotistical as it may sound… But he couldn't think of another reason as to why… Why she would do that… But… He wanted to be sure. He just…. He wanted to know if this was for real.

Violet made its way onto Mina's cheeks. Her brother had told her that it was best to just get it out in the open, to confess and be done with it, and she'd agreed with him. She'd planned to do this right from the start of the date.

All it would take was one push from her. One good, final push. Just a few words to express her feelings for Izuku, right now, and it would all be over. She wanted him to know. If only to get it off her chest.

She wanted to. It was because…

"…Because… I…"

She wanted to… But why was it so hard?

How? How was it possible? How could it be that she could basically cuddle with him on a train, kiss his cheek, spend this whole day with him… And only now get cold feet? How was it possible to even manage that?... This day… If there was one thing she'd had planned out from the start, it was that she was going to confess to Izuku that she felt this way about him! That had been the plan from the very beginning! So why now?!

…Fear. That's what it was. Fear or rejection. Fear that Izuku didn't feel like this about her. That he liked someone else. Uraraka maybe. Or just… Anyone else. That he'd only come out of a sense of obligation… That… That…

Suddenly, her hand felt warm. Izuku's hand had wrapped itself around hers. She let out an involuntary gasp at this. Usually, her hand found its way into his, not the other way around… But with pink tinting his own cheeks, he'd done it himself.

He'd seen her. He'd seen the worry she had. The anxiety. The fear of telling him something that she didn't know how he would react to. Something that she could never know how he would react to. Boundless energy, reckless attitude, carefree personality. It all evaporated in the face of a certain kind of uncertainty. And for Mina, it was this kind.

"Mina…" He said softly, wanting to soothe her worries, but no words came. He didn't know what to say. Even now, he didn't know what he himself would say in this situation, were their roles reversed.

He took a deep breath. If this was what he thought it was, then this was going to be the thing that helped Mina find her voice. If not… Then it was going to be a very dumb mistake.

"It's because I…" Mina tried again, feeling the words get stuck in her throat, when she was cut off.

She was cut off by Izuku planting a warm, gentle kiss on her cheek, like she had given him previously. Mina had to take a second to process what was happening, before her face exploded into dark lilac. Izuku was kissing her!

It didn't last as long as the one that she had given him, and it was nowhere near as impulsive or as forceful as hers had been… But somehow, it felt deeper all the same. Like there was just as much, if not somehow more feeling than Mina had put into hers. Like he'd been sitting on this, for just as long as she had, and had wanted to do this just as much.

"You can talk to me, Mina." He quietly informed her, and while his cheeks were still a raging red inferno, his smile was warm, soft, and sweet enough that Mina thought her heart was going to melt.

"It… It's because…. I… I did it because I… Like you." The words just came out, tumbling out before Mina knew that they had even managed to force their way out of the lump in her throat. By the time she realized what she was saying, she had gone too far to stop herself. "I… I look at you, and I see… The most incredible person I've ever met in my entire life… You're just…. I… I don't even have the words to describe it. You're an amazing person, Izuku, and I… I think I fell for you a while ago… I…" She swallowed. "I – I know that it's… dumb. We've… We've only known each other for a short amount of time, haven't we? Just under a month… And I feel like this about you… Ahaha… I just…" She gripped onto Izuku's hand tightly. "I don't want this day to end…"

Izuku couldn't blush anymore. It was insane. He felt… Calm. He felt good. He felt… He felt like everything in the world was as it should be. He knew how she felt. She liked him too. He could tell her now… "Mina… I… That day… I'm… I'm glad my bandages were thrown on so poorly after my fight with Todoroki. I'm… Glad I missed that train… Because if I didn't… I may never have gotten to speak to you… To know you… To… Fall for you like I have…"

"You… You like me too?"

"…I do, Mina. I really do."

It wasn't possible for their hands to be held any tighter than they were right now. Both of their blushes died down a bit, leaving only a bit of colour on their faces now. They had done it. They had confessed their feelings for one another. It was mutual. Both of them softly smiled, watching the sun set for a few moments. Nothing needed to be said. It just didn't need to happen. They just needed to be there, in that moment, with one another.

Their hands together. They didn't need anything else. They didn't have to say anything else to one another.

"So… What happens now?" Izuku asked after a few moments of silence, turning to look at the girl he'd just poured his heart out to, still unable to get the smile off his face.

"I dunno." Mina replied. "I've never really been in this kind of situation before. I don't know what the standard procedure is… But… I do know that I want to do this again… And again… And… Again."

"…Does that mean… You want to be my… G-Girlfriend?"

Mina tapped her foot and hummed lightly, pretending that she was taking a serious moment of consideration to her answer. She already knew the answer, and it took a lot of willpower for her to not scream it and throw herself into his arms right there and then. "…Eh, I guess so." She responded with a smirk.

Both of them managed to enjoy a good laugh at Mina's joke. The day couldn't have ended better, they thought to themselves. Suddenly, they weren't alone anymore. They weren't facing this world on their own. They didn't have to stand up on their own. They could lean on each other, support one another. It was a feeling of joy that both of them couldn't even begin to thank to other for blessing them with feeling.

They remained there for just over another half hour, before they decided that they had to go now, before it ended up becoming too dark. Their hands didn't leave one another's as they stood up, and they didn't separate when Mina took a step towards Izuku.

And they didn't separate when Mina pressed her body against Izuku's and hugged him as tightly as she could.

They didn't separate when Izuku's face went blood red, and they didn't separate when Izuku nearly passed out from heatstroke right then and there, nor when Mina began to fret that she'd actually killed the guy.

They didn't separate on the train ride how, during which they held onto one another again, just like they did on Monday. They didn't separate when they got off the train at Izuku's stop, and when he walked Mina to her station.

They only separated when Mina had to get on to her train to be whisked away back home, but they did so with the promise that they'd join their hands again soon.

And throughout it all, Mina just smiled, nonstop. Bad omens be damned. This day had been nothing but a dream come true.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Micha questioned her sister the moment he passed by his bedroom door when she finally got back into the house. He stepped to the side of his door, inviting his sister inside his room, characteristically scattered with games and books and all sorts that he collected. Their two younger siblings were downstairs playing on the family shared game system, and their parents were in the kitchen, apparently somehow able to keep the gruel that had been served for dinner down in their stomachs, so there was no chance on being interrupted by external sources.

Quickly, Mina entered the room, throwing her bag of books down on the floor next to her where she sat opposite her older brother once he shut the door. She couldn't hide the smile on her face, nor the slight tint of purple that was covering her cheeks.

"It's good news, isn't it?" Micha grinned from ear to ear. He sat down and waited for his sister to spill her guts. "Come on, Mina, don't hold out on me."

Giggling lightly, Mina told him, "I did it! I told him how I felt about him, and he said he likes me too, and now we're dating!" She ended with a squeal to her voice, her chest bubbling with excitement and blissful joy.

Micha gave her a high five and a laugh. "Way to go, sis!" Once their hands clapped together, he leaned back slightly and rested his hands on his knees. "So, what'd you do? What's he like? Oooh, oooh, did you kiss him? Or did he kiss you? Tell me everything, M."

Mina just smiled. "What do you want to know first?"

* * *

 **Very minor re-write after I had a much, MUCH better idea for this story. sorry to confuse y'all, but I think I have me a far better plan for this ^_^**

 **EDIT - A note to those of you who were wondering why I had Izuku beat Mina at Dance Dance Revolution - One reason, and one reason only - The idea of Izuku doing so, and then winding up being delirious, makes me laugh to no end. That's really all there was to it ^_^**


	7. Silly Little Crush?

Izuku wasn't much of a dreamer. Not in the sense of rest anyway. Sure he had his goals and aspirations that he wanted to achieve, and he'd work like a freaking lunatic in order to reach those goals without compromise. He was dedicated, determined, and focused almost to a fault, always doing whatever it took to get a step closer to his goal of being a Hero. Seeing everything as a chance to learn and absorb information from wherever he could, from whatever source. He was a model student, and an enthusiast for his chosen career path, and he aspired of that glorious day where he'd graduate, become a sidekick, and finally move on to becoming a full-fledged Hero.

But in terms of sleep, he didn't really dream a lot anymore… Scientifically, he knew that whenever he slept, he had a dream, but none of them were ever worth committing to memory, apparently, since they were forgotten the second his eyes opened. When he was younger, he had all sorts of childish fantastic dreams about being the Hero next to All Might who would save the day and have everyone chanting his name. He'd dream about attending a school like Yuuei, and learning every single trick in the book about becoming a Hero, making close friendships that would last a lifetime, and beginning to forge his own identity. He'd dream about fighting Villains, and saving people who needed the help, where he expected nothing but a 'Thank you' in return.

The thing was though, now that was his life. He was being guided by his idol, attending the world's most prestigious Hero Academy, had fought Villains - Although admittedly that one wasn't as glamorous as he'd thought it would be - and was gathering so many new friends that it far exceeded any expectations. Throughout his childhood, he was the kid everyone bullied, made fun of, mocked, or even beat to maintain their own social standing. Now he had so many close friends that he basically liked to consider his entire class a big social group. His entire world had been turned into a living dream that he had to fight like hell to keep going. It was just so much better than everything before.

One thing he never dreamed of, or really ever thought about, was ever having a girlfriend throughout his high school days. He'd always assumed he'd be too busy, too dedicated, or that no one would take an interest in Quirkless little Izuku. He never let it bother him though. He always focused on his studies more, so he didn't let the thought bug him. If it ever happened, great, he'd be over the moon if the planets aligned and the luck bestowed upon him, but if not, it was something that he could live with.

And now, he had Mina. The colourful, cheerful, quirky ball of energy that the entire class recognized as one of their more lively members. The girl who would play dumb jokes on other members, and laugh at the stupidest things. The girl who always seemed to be the bright glow in Class 1-A, standing out due to her innate unique appearance, and was as much of a standout as she was, there were very real, very human feelings that she had. And she had shared them with him.

And he had felt the same. And now...

Yesterday ran through his mind, over and over and over again as he slept, remembering everything that they had done, from him dancing like an idiot and burning himself out while somehow - God knew how - beating her at a rhythm game that relied on reflexes - Seriously, how had he managed this?! - , selecting reading material and finding out they had similar tastes, or just wondering around the place looking for something entertaining to do to kill some time.

He wasn't entirely sure where he developed these feelings from, how quickly they had come into being, but the happiness he felt, the beating of his heart when it fluttered, was something he wouldn't ever be able to replicate. Nor did he know where the courage to kiss her cheek like he had come from, but he was so happy that he had. It had made her open up to him. To confess to him...

To think a girl like Mina, someone so vibrant and lively, so outgoing and social, and so amazingly cute had those feelings for meek, nerdy Izuku...

His cheeks still burned up whenever he thought about their mutual confession to one another. It was still something he was struggling to fully comprehend, or even accept that it had happened. When he got home that night, when his mother asked him where he'd been, and when he'd explained everything to her, he almost wasn't sure if he believed it all himself. It all sounded surreal, almost as unbelievable as a Quirk that could be passed down. His mother had certainly been overjoyed though, weeping tears of joy, and asking a thousand questions about the new girlfriend Izuku reported to have. She must have dehydrated herself four or five times during their conversation.

Izuku just couldn't believe it all. It all seemed too good to be true... But it was.

He had a girlfriend now. And it was Mina.

No, Izuku didn't dream about the childish things like Superheroes and superpowers anymore. He was living that dream now. If anything, a dream of one of those things would be tamed compared to the real thing.

But he did dream about Mina. He dreamed about every aspect about her. Her unique, smooth and warm skin. Her horns, made of bone. Her darkened eyes. Her infectious laugh.

And her perfect smile.

* * *

"Awaaaaaawhh..."

Izuku had to stifle a loud yawn come Monday. Tears welled up as he tried to block his mouth from view for the other passengers on board. One man who wore a sick mask around his mouth seemed to glance at him, but paid him no real heed in the end.

It was just a regular subway ride to Yuuei, nothing special about it whatsoever, but to Izuku, it almost felt like it was going about half as fast as it normally did, and he couldn't decide if that was good or bad today. He was completely exhausted, not having totally recovered from his and Mina's date on Saturday. His legs still felt shaky and a bit sore, and his brain was slow and sluggish. He wasn't looking forward to the day he had ahead of him. He knew that Monday's rarely held combat training of any sort. Often times, they rarely held anything that required the class to change into their Hero costumes, so that was nice and reassuring to the tired green haired boy.

Normally he was all over a day at Yuuei, like the white on rice Lunch Rush served on a regular basis, but today, he really would have just liked to lay in. Part of that was because of Mina, but mostly, it was himself and his own lack of self-control.

He and Mina had engaged in conversation, via text, and at times, via voice and video call, for basically the entire day. Both of them had expressed their disbelief at the previous day, but their simultaneous relief and gratitude that it had happened. It was surreal to talk to Mina after the day that they had shared together, Izuku thought to himself, but he got used to talking to her again rather quickly, her energy infecting him even via mobile bandwidths. They had talked, and talked, and talked, only stopping when one of their families needed them for something, or to eat one of the daily meals.

What Izuku found really endearing about Mina was the fact that just by talking to her, she made doing the most trivial and strenuous things entertaining and fun. At certain points of their conversation, Izuku had lifted some reps on his dumbbells to tone his muscles a bit more, cleaned away some of the comics he had bought the previous day which had shattered across the floor due to his fatigue, and done a bit of studying before he realized that several hours had passed and not a single lull in the conversation had occurred, and he'd been enjoying every second of it.

What he should have expected was for the boundless energy Mina exerted to translate to the fact that she could easily talk well into the night. They switched to a text based format so as not to disturb the people in their respective houses. Mina didn't tire in the least during the exchange, easily going on until two in the morning. While Izuku knew that she wouldn't hold it against him if he just told her he had been getting tired from around the 22:00 mark, a big part of him simply didn't want the conversation to stop. He was enjoying himself way too much to care. So he kept on talking to her.

A choice he seriously came to regret that morning, when his 06:00 alarm went off, and he felt like hell on earth. He found out that he'd completely knocked out without even realizing it, his still on phone being the first thing he saw, and the blindingly bright glow forcing his eye to snap back shut like he'd been hit in the eye by a laser pointer.

He had to seriously fight off that grogginess and the temptation to roll right back over and fall asleep again. Making a mental note to use his head next time, to just say that he was exhausted to avoid this feeling in the morning, Izuku got ready for another day at his Hero Academy.

It had been pretty good thinking of his to keep his phone charging throughout the conversation. Incredibly forward thinking, since there was no doubt it would have run out of power by that morning. Upon checking the small plastic and metal device in the morning, he had a couple of messages from Mina he never saw from the previous night, one asking where he went, and another one of her figuring out that he'd passed out and apologizing for keeping him up. Nothing from that morning, although Izuku would admit, he'd be impressed if she was going to be as giddy as she usually was when she'd stayed up as long as he had. He'd be impressed, but not at all surprised. Somehow he got the feeling she did this fairly often.

Everything aside though, it was a pretty average morning for Izuku. He'd purchased a bottle of inexpensive carbonated drink to try and wake him up, not that it did much good. On the train, while he was beyond exhausted, he didn't fall asleep, and he followed his normal pattern. He checked the news for any stories relating to Heroics, finding an interesting article about a Quirk that allowed its user to create miniature canyons by touching any surface, which for some reason, acted as a slash type attack when used on a living being. He made a few notes about it in his memory, planning on sketching them down in his notebook when he eventually made it to class, noting the strengths and weaknesses such a Quirk would offer its user.

Nothing extraordinary happened outside of that though. It was a fairly average news day, a few click-bait ads wrapped up in sponsored content, and story about Mt. Lady arresting a three man group trying to rob a supermarket, the images the media published typically less than decent when it came to the Gigantification Quirk user. He quickly tilted his phone from view when those came up, lest any of the other passengers get the wrong idea of what he was looking at.

Once the doors slid open, Izuku stepped out to be greeted by the normal Tokyo morning hustle and bustle. At this point, having going to Yuuei for a few months now, he was used to the erratic commune at this station in the morning. It had surprised him at first, but now he was used to the constantly moving tall men and women, eager students, and misbehaving children that occupied the sea of grey concrete and black and greyer uniforms and suits.

The freckled boy rubbed his eyelids to try and get the sleep and fatigue out of his system. He needed to be at 100%. He always needed to be at 100%, and beyond that whenever he was faced with a day of school. That was the motto of Yuuei. Plus Ultra. Another yawn escaped him, this one far longer than his earlier one, and louder to boot.

"Midori!"

Hearing his nickname, second only to Deku in terms of its popularity, since only one person called him by it, Izuku's yawn was cut short. He took a look around, to find Mina approaching him with that perfect smile on her face, and an insulated flask in her left hand. As per normal at this point, she still hadn't put on her grey jacket like Izuku did, preferring to put it on at the last minute, although her tie was fastened around her collar. Against a sea of darkened blacks and greys, along with her skin colour, it did help her to stand out a lot easier, especially to the green haired teenager.

 _'What is she doing here?'_ Izuku thought to himself. They hadn't agreed to meet here. She had come here on her own, and he hadn't expected her here, so he was understandably confused. That wasn't to say it was unwelcome. It was the opposite of that in fact. He was very happy to see her here. He just didn't know why she was here.

Had she come just to see him a bit earlier than she would have at Yuuei?

He would have returned the smile had he not been tackled by a giant hug the second she came within earshot range. Mina's arms wrapped around his neck and she held him tight, her chin resting on his right shoulder and the warm skin of her cheek brushing against his own. He smelled of that same citron and bubble-gum scent Izuku had grown to recognize fondly, although that observation wasn't doing much to help hide the blush growing on his face. The last time she hugged him was at the end of their mutual confession on their date, and he had basically melted on the spot. This time he held onto more of his bombastic self-control, but that was seriously put to the test when she warmly greeted him with a cheerful "Good morning!" right next to his ear. Her voice was so close, so pitch perfect...

Finally letting go of him so he could move his neck without having to wrestle for breathing space, Mina skipped back a step and smiled at him again, a small giggle escaping her as she got amusement from his current state of floundering. "M-Morning, M-Mina-san."

"Back to 'Mina- _san_ '?" She asked with an amused grin at his formality slipping back into his speech. In all honesty, she preferred him to just drop the honorifics altogether, or add 'Chan' on if he truly felt the need to use one. She never really was a formal sort of person, but right now, she didn't really care. One look at Izuku told her she had been right to bring the flask she had. Grabbing his hand in a rather loose manner, she began to lead him out of the subway station. "Come on, follow me."

Izuku obeyed, not that he really got much choice in the matter, since he was being dragged along, and whenever Mina was determined to get somewhere, she'd normally get there. He'd learned that about her over the last few weeks.

Once outside of the subway station, leaving behind the humid air of the underground station and rose up into the cooler air and the slightly less crowded Tokyo streets, that were still as busy as ever, just less compressed into a small area, Mina continued to lead him further away from the city, a bit closer to Yuuei. At first, Izuku didn't assume much of it, assuming that she was just leading him to their high school in her zealous manner.

His suspicions only began to rise when Mina instead pulled him into the only park that was located near the Hero Academy. It was a rather large park, with footpaths and a water feature that had preserved an ancient traditional bridge and kiosk over the water, in the olden days of feudal Japan, the time before Quirks. Inside was also a playground for the younger children to play in. Around this time of day, it was normally empty, excluding any park attendants that happened to be around.

"M-Mina, what are we doing here?" Izuku asked, glancing around the place for some sort of inclination as to what they were supposed to be here for. Unless Mina just felt like taking a convoluted route to the school, he came up with nothing. Truly, he was confused.

Eventually, they reached an old, wooden bench that had been preserved thanks to metal framing applied on the supports over the course of time. Slipping off her backpack, Mina sat down, and motioned for Izuku to sit next to her. Though still unsure and uneasy, Izuku did so, now too curios to not see where she was going with this. They had, what, maybe a half hour before they actually had to be there for lessons to begin? He was willing to lose a few minutes to see what she was doing here.

"You always arrive super early, I had to get up at five just to beat you here." Mina told him with a smile as she began to twist the flask open, moving the large black cap clockwise and the metallic, insulated cylinder counter-clockwise. Upon separation, a huge bellow of steam burst the top of the now exposed inside of the object, a strong scent of coffee attacking the senses. Mina passed the back cap to Izuku, it being large enough to act as a cup, and poured him out a helping of the strongly caffeinated drink. "Thought you might want a little pick-me-up before we got to Yuuei. I kinda kept you up until you knocked out, so, this is kinda me saying sorry in a way."

Izuku wasn't the biggest fan of coffee, if he was honest. He would drink it, but he wasn't entirely keen on things that were bitter like coffee was. He'd rather drink water. Still, the sentiment was there from Mina, and he appreciated it, so he took the dark liquid to his lips and began to sip. In juxtaposition to what he knew this drink was supposed to be like, it was actually incredibly sweet. He had a feeling that this might be how Mina got so much energy, because already, he felt his eyes rocket open, eradicating the fatigue he held not five minutes ago. What the hell even went into this stuff?

His cheeks burned a little from the warmth of the hot drink and he smiled. "That's... Really sweet."

"You're welcome."

"I - I meant the coffee..."

"I'd hope so, it has like five sugars in it." Mina smirked, indicating that she knew perfectly well what Izuku was referring to in the first place. Izuku suddenly felt embarrassed for some reason, and quickly hastened to express his gratitude to Mina as well.

"I - I mean, it was still really nice of you to- to do this... You - You didn't have to, you know." He stuttered quickly, tripping over his words more than usual. For some reason, he always felt far giddier with Mina, and combined with his usual inability to fluently speak, and his nervous awkwardness when he was around this girl, this left him more tongue tied than usual.

"I know." Mina simply replied, with a tint of purple on her cheeks. "But I sorta kept you awake all night, so I thought that this would be a nice way to make up for it." In saying so, she gently slipped her hand into his free one.

While his own cheeks were now turning to a shade of red, Izuku wouldn't deny that this was nice. He really didn't expect this, nor did he ever expect anything like this from anyone. He knew that his grogginess was his own fault, nothing that Mina needed to feel guilty about. And he knew that he would never ask this sort of thing of her.

But at the same time... The fact she had done this herself, without any need to be asked, because she had wanted to do this for him... Made him feel really happy. Happy in a way he had only felt a few times in his life. It wasn't something as overpowering and rapturous as All Might telling him the words he had never heard throughout his entire Quirkless childhood. This was a far more subtle, but equally as powerful.

"...Thanks, Mina." He said with utter sincerity, smiling softly along with her, and returning the hold on her hand with his own, his fingers lightly covering her knuckles as her own did to his.

"Anytime." The pink girl responded happily.

The two stayed like this for a while as Izuku finished the drink he had been given. The combination of caffeine and sugar felt like a taser to the senses every time he swallowed a mouthful of what he was now dubbing as 'liquid lava'. Whatever was in this, it was a hell of a lot more effective than the stuff that the school sold. It kept waking him up more and more until he felt like he had enough energy in reserves to at least make it through the school day. He passed the cup back to Mina, who had decided that she wasn't going to have any, quickly fastening the black holder back atop the flask, entrapping the remaining heat in the insulated cylinder.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah... A lot." Izuku blinked a few times, not quite sure how such a small amount of coffee could rejuvenate him so much. It was most likely just a rush that he was feeling, and he'd develop a lot more of an immunity to it if he kept guzzling it down as an alternative to sleep, but since this was the first time he'd had this blend, he was still weak to it, and now had enough power to face the challenges today would bring, at the very least. He'd probably still collapse in bed the minute he got home.

He shuddered slightly, his body adjusting to the increase of heat to his body. He felt good. Better than he did previously. Much better.

"Hey, Izuku?..." Mina's voice was suddenly low, like she was anxious or nervous about something, but felt like she had to say it, to get it out in the open. Hearing her being nervous was no longer unheard of to Izuku, but it still did manage to surprise him whenever she sounded like she was doubting herself.

He only now noticed that she'd been fairly quiet, in comparison to how she normally was. Typically, she was a bit overloud, energetic to the highest degree, and talkative to the highest degree. Here, she seemed to be a lot more reserved, and had seemed to be so throughout their interactions.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, wondering if something was bothering her, and hoping that if there was something wrong, she would share it with him. His hand subconsciously held onto hers that bit tighter, attempting to comfort her.

"It's just... I mean, it's... Us."

Suddenly Izuku's blood ran cold. A thousand different scenarios began to run throughout his head, the one that stood out, and scared him the most, was her telling him she had been too hasty. That she wanted to call this whole thing off. That she'd changed her mind.

Logic was overridden to him. He knew that obviously, that wasn't what this was. Mina was an absent minded person, but she wasn't going to do that to him. She wasn't that sort of person. Not after everything she'd shared with him on their date. She wasn't cruel.

As it turned out, logic was the winner of the day.

"I... I don't know if this goes without saying, but..." Mina began, blushing lightly. She could feel her words tripping over themselves as they made their way out her voice box. "I mean... I know I'm kind of easy-going about stuff, but... I - I just wanted to say that um..." She hesitated, just for a second, before she swallowed and kept going. "I'm not, you know, jerking you around or anything. It's not just some... Silly little crush that I'm doing because I'm bored or whatever. I really do want... This, us, whatever you wanna call it, I do want it to work, honestly. I'm serious about, you know, us working." As she referred to the two of them, she held up their joined hands to emphasize the point.

Hearing these words along with her evident nervousness, Izuku managed to sigh and relax himself. Having just had that little panicked thought in his head, he knew that he was equally as dedicated to seeing if he could make this work if at all possible. He'd never been in this sort of position before. He'd never had a girlfriend before. He had barely even had friends before this entire event began, so he was sort of unsure as to what they were supposed to do. Revelation came only a few moments later.

"...I uh, I - I... Me too, Mina." It was really all he could manage to say, since his cheeks had begun to burn up at the words she had spoken. She had said everything that had needed to be said, there wasn't anything more that needed to be said. As he spoke, he smiled at her, even if it was a shaky smile. "I - I feel that way too..."

It was enough though. Sufficiently reassured, Mina beamed back at him, and suddenly, pulled Izuku into a deep arm hug. Using her free hand that wasn't holding onto his hand, she tightly wrapped her arm around the same arm of the hand she was holding, clutching onto it tightly as possible, small bouts of laughter escaping from her lips as she did so. While her head rested and snuggled in just on his shoulders by his neck, she was careful not to hit him with her marrow forged horns.

If Izuku hadn't been red previously, he absolutely was now. In her hugging his arm, Mina's chest, which was of moderate size, pressed against the very quick to realize boy's biceps in his upper arm. It was very unlikely that she was doing this on purpose, Izuku told himself very very quickly, many many times, doing his absolute best to hide the fact that this was pretty much the only thing he could think about right now. Mina tended not to think things all the way through before doing them! That was what this was, there wasn't any doubt about it! At least, he hoped so. He bit his lip, and attempted to avert his gaze elsewhere as quickly as he could.

Mina just laughed again. _Was_ she doing this on purpose to get a laugh out of his flustered behaviour?

"Come on." She said with a little jump, practically pulling an unsuspecting Izuku back onto his feet. "We're gonna end up being late for classes if we don't get a move on."

They had spent a bit longer here than intended or either of them had expected, but they still had more than enough time to cover the distance from here to the school without being late. Izuku nodded, and began to walk with her, Mina refusing to let go of the hold she had on his arm and hand as the two of them made their way towards the giant building that was their school. Walking this way seemed to be a bit awkward for Mina, who had to take smaller steps with the leg that was closest to Izuku, and longer ones with the other leg. She didn't seem to particularly mind though, since her smile didn't disappear the entire time.

Izuku's didn't either. Despite the huge amount of embarrassment he was in thanks to this, he was actually genuinely happy with the current situation he found himself in. His blushes were clear for all to see, and while his smile was still wobbly, he didn't mind this. His hand wrapped up with Mina's… It was nice. Warm.

He liked this. This calm, peaceful feeling…

And upon noticing the tall walls, massive building, and the uniforms of the other students of their prestigious academy, Izuku felt that peaceful feeling shatter.

How the hell were they going to explain this to everyone else in Class 1-A?

"You okay, Midori?" Mina asked, tilting her head slightly. "You look pale."

"I – I just thought, um…" Izuku gulped, taking a sharp breath before answering. "How are we going to… You know… How do we… Tell the others about this?"

It only just registered to her then that Mina hadn't even considered this part of what would happen. She hadn't thought this far ahead. Of course, Izuku would have done. He was awkward enough as it is, and he preferred to avoid direct attention being called to him, so this, given some of their classmate's personalities, could be a recipe for him winding up flustered as all hell.

And she might have told possibly some of the worst people last Friday about her feelings for him. "…Well, we aren't going to need to tell Hagakure, Asui, Sero, or Kirishama, I can tell you that much…"

"…Why?"

"…I may have already told them."

Izuku very visually froze this time, and it looked like his eyes somehow bulged out of their sockets before returning to their natural positioning. "Wh – What?!"

"Not that we're you know, dating or anything!" Mina was quick to reassure Izuku, seeing the clear panic that was running through his brain. "Just… You know… That I liked you… They sort of figured it out on their own…"

That seemed to calm Izuku down a bit, since none of them would actually know that they were now a couple… But he quickly went into some sort of incoherent muttering that Mina couldn't understand, despite being right next to him. She heard the occasional name or action sometimes. She couldn't help but awkwardly smile at her boyfriend's mumbling habit.

Asui was a seal trap. If she was asked to keep something quiet and personal, she'd do so without question. She wasn't some sort of chatterbox and gossip regarding feelings that people would rather she didn't gossip about, that was a safe assumption to make when it came to the frog girl. Izuku was confident that she wouldn't spread anything around.

Everyone else though… That was another story.

Hagakure and Sero… Izuku barely knew either of them, but from what little he did know of them, they seemed rather sociable. Were they the sort of people to spread rumours? Well, they already figured it out according to Mina… So it wasn't like no one else couldn't have put two and two together…

The worst of this had to be, without a doubt, Kirishama. Izuku liked him well enough, and considered him to be a friend… The issue there lied in the fact that Kirishama was, in turn, pretty good friends with Kacchan, and was fully aware of the rivalry between the two. Though the Hardening Quirk user may have underestimated just how fiercely Kacchan disliked Izuku…

If Kirishama told Kacchan that Mina liked Izuku… That could seriously damage that pride the Explosion Quirk user had, just knowing that Izuku was more popular than him! Or at least, from his perspective anyway. These days, Kacchan was on a very short fuse as it was. Izuku also doubted that his childhood friend turned bully had connected the dots himself. He either missed all the signs, or couldn't give a damn. To have this dropped on him…

"Yikes." Izuku swallowed, sweat now dropping from his forehead like a water feature.

"You're overthinking." Mina told him with a smile. Izuku felt her hand tighten around his own again. "Come on. Everyone'll be cool with it."

He _was_ overthinking. Izuku knew he had a bad habit of doing such whenever something caught his interest, or he felt required particular focus, but still, he was nervous. Even if Mina hadn't told anyone, he would have been nervous to announce it to everyone anyway. Becoming the center of attention simply was not the kind of thing that he enjoyed…

This sort of thing could force him and Mina into the spotlight, weather they liked it or not.

"We don't have to tell people, you know." The pink girl suggested kindly, which earned her a look from Izuku. "I know you're kind of shy about stuff, so we don't have to tell anyone right now if you're uncomfortable with it. I don't mind." She rested her head on his shoulder again to comfort him and herself.

"N – No… That would only cause problems later on…" Izuku refused, but he would admit, the temptation was there. The very real temptation to hide the fact that they were a couple now – And just thinking that they were a couple made Izuku blush immensely – was strong. But… The truth was, if they found out on their own, it could lead to complications later down the line. Complications that he would rather avoid.

Not that it was anyone in their class's business… But then again, wasn't he the one person in their class who kept getting involved in other people's business when he wasn't welcome? Really, he had absolutely no right to be claiming that other people getting involved in his life was unacceptable. That would just make him a hypocrite. Sometimes, he cursed his altruistic tendencies.

Sighing, he knew that really, it was a smarter choice to get it done and out of the way… His face burned up, surpassing the pink skinned girl's natural shade.

* * *

 **Truth be told, this chapter kind of is inspired by a situation I've got going on right now. It's mildly similar. In the same way that RWBY is _inspired_ by Little Red Riding Hood.  
I'm still toying with ideas for the reactions. I've got pretty much everyone down except Bakugou and Uraraka.  
I sure as hell don't imagine that their class is just gonna be like "Oh yeah, look at that. They're a thing now. Cool." They're all way too quirky for that. So that's gonna be... Certainly interesting to write. didn't want to have you guys waiting a week before the next one came out. **

**Hope this chapter was worth the wait for it =_= The gaps between these are getting too long for my own liking... College is a pain. I encourage anyone who likes this pairing to write a story on it though. If you do write a story on MinaDeku, please do not hesitate to let me know. We need more of these adorable bastards. ^_^**

 **Okay, this bit at the end is dragging on a bit now. See you guys in the next chapter ^_^**


	8. Who The Hell Cares!

Reactions varied throughout the classroom towards Izuku and Mina announcing their relationship. The only common reaction that everyone seemed to hold was surprise and shock, mostly at the fact that these two, who could only be more different if Bakugou was thrown into the works, were not only this close, but now dating! Barely anyone had missed their avoidance of one another the past week, and for them to now come out with this? The reactions were somewhat valid when considered like this. It hadn't been supposed to spread like the wildfire that it had done, but it managed to explode and expand all at once.

The plan that the two of them had come up with was to just inform their closest friends at first, and then go about the day like normal, only no longer hiding any public displays of affection - All of which were bound to have come from Mina, since Izuku was way too reserved to ever do something like that - and if anyone who didn't know asked, they would tell them. It was better than getting up at the front of the class like they were on some sort of trial and declaring it for all the world to hear. At least it was better for Izuku. Mina wouldn't have minded so much.

So the list of people who would be told really came down to Kirishama, Siro, Hagakure, Asui and Kaminari on Mina's side, and Uraraka, Iida, and Todoroki for Izuku. Mina expressed a bit of surprise at Izuku's inclusion of Todoroki on that list, until she was reminded of their joint venture against the Hero Killer. It made her laugh. Izuku could have the ever loving crap beaten out of him by someone one day, and consider them a buddy the next. A part of her was actually sort of surprised he hadn't made any plans to inform Bakugou, given the sort of person her green haired boyfriend was. In the face of pure hostility, he was still able to only address the positives in an individual, whereas any sane person would have gotten tired of the explosive teenagers attitude years ago, and probably thrown him out a window had they possessed a strong enough Quirk. She was thankful that Izuku wasn't that suicidal or cocky enough to tell his childhood friend / bully. He was smarter than that.

And so, they attempted to tell their social groups one by one. Since Uraraka hadn't arrived at the room yet, and nor had Bakugou or Kaminari, that left a smaller list of people that they had to inform right out of the gate, which in a way, made things easier. For Izuku, the first person he spoke to was the Half-Hot-Half-Cold Quirk user, since Iida was busy with his class president duties at the time they made their way into the classroom.

Todoroki's reaction ranged onto the lower end of the scale, showing more an indifference than anything else. His expression barely changed, not showing really any sort of surprise. The only slight change you could see was the fact that, on the burned side of his face, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"...Is there a particular reason you felt the need to inform me of this, Midoriya?" He added a particular emphasis when referring to himself, which did indicate a small amount of intrigue in the Quirk Inheritors choice to trust him with this knowledge. His question almost bordered accusatory, like he thought Izuku was attempting to get a reaction of sorts from him.

Izuku quickly shook his head, and desperately made arm flailing to try and get Todoroki to please lower his voice, since he had made no effort to adjust his volume when speaking back to him. "W-Well, we're j-just trying to tell people we're good f-friends with, so it doesn't you know, explode."

"And you seriously think that telling Hagakure of all people is a good idea in that situation?" The bi-hair coloured boy asked, pointing behind Izuku. Located a few seats and rows away, Mina had evidently told the Transparency Quirk holder about the relationship that the two of them shared. Excitable as ever, Hagakure had presumably clasped hold of Mina's hands - Honestly, with no visible anatomy, it was difficult to tell - and begun to jump up and down on the spot like an excited child. Not exactly subtle.

Only able to nervously laugh, Izuku had to concede that Todoroki made a strong case.

"Still... You consider me a friend, huh?" Todoroki questioned, his expression relaxing somewhat. Given the drama and heat of combat the two of them had engaged in, Izuku was taken aback that Todoroki needed affirmation that this was indeed the case. Once Izuku confirmed that he did, the scarred teenager seemed to allow himself to smile lightly. A rather rare sight, since he barely wore much expression at all, given his stoic personality. "Thanks for trusting me with that then, Midoriya. I appreciate it. Good luck to you two." A small display of the softer side to the son of the world's number two Hero. A very rare display he certainly wouldn't show again for quite a while.

By this point, Izuku was already sweating pretty badly out of sheer awkwardness. To top that off, he heard another worryingly loud reaction behind him. This time a male reaction, sounding like Kirishama doing a weird combination of gasping in shock and bursting into laughter.

"I think it's really cute."

Shocked by Yaoyarozu's sudden insertion into the conversation, Izuku jumped, and very nearly let out a surprised yelp, snapping his neck to look at their fellow student whom sat herself next to Todoroki. The young woman had her head rested in her hands, with tinted red cheeks. Wearing a warm smile directed at Izuku, it was pretty evident she had heard what he had just told Todoroki.

"Y-Yaoyarozu! How did -"

"You aren't as quiet as you think. To be frank, it was hard not to hear you from where I'm sitting." She answered before Izuku even managed to force out the rest of his question. Prompting him to check around, the teenage boy quickly looked over his shoulders. Attention wasn't on him or Mina more than it would be under any normal circumstances. He thanked God that he hadn't subconsciously been shouting which he had feared he had been doing since Yaoyarozu had heard him. She continued, almost seeming like she was gushing over the developments she had overheard. "I think nearly everyone noticed that something was going on between you and Ashido. It's really sweet that you're dating her now." She paused and waved her hand, to dismiss any concerns that her classmate had. "Don't worry, I'll keep it quiet if you want."

Blushing, Izuku nodded, and slightly bowed towards the class's vice president. "Th - Thank you, Yaoyarozu-san. I - I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, Midoriya." Yaoyarozu smiled kindly. She then quickly shot a look behind Izuku and pointed. "She seems to be a lot peppier today."

Taking another glance behind him, Izuku saw Mina right now in a huge fit of giggles and laughter alongside Kirishama and Asui, the Frog girl giving the pink girl a warm hug, presumably just having heard what Mina had had to tell her. He knew that they were friends, but Izuku wasn't sure exactly how close the two of them were. Judging by that, they had to be on pretty good terms, which honestly surprised him, given their conflicting personalities. Then again, he wasn't in a position to talk, was he?

Each move that Mina made, every step she took, seemed to be filled with a visible spring to it. To add onto it, she didn't seem to be able to stop laughing, or to stop grinning the way she was. Izuku blushed at seeing her perfect smile once again.

"She does seem to have more energy than usual." Todoroki commented, throwing in a rare optional piece of conversation into the discussion. Typically, he was quiet and reserved, not really speaking unless he felt the need, or was directly being addressed. If he was making the observation without prompting, it could generally be trusted to be accurate. Befitting how his body seemed to be genetically split down the centre right down to his Quirk, he seemed to be half deadpanned, and half amused that somehow, the class's resident energy ball seemed to have taken it up to eleven.

"I think you're having a good effect on her. She seems really happy." The Creation Quirk holder observed with another soft smile.

"She - She was always happy." Izuku said, doubting that his presence had that much of an effect on her in such a short space of time. He recalled that Mina was always seen with a smile on her face within the classroom, laughing and making dumb jokes in her social circle. Them dating shouldn't have that big a deal on her general mood, should it?

"No, she was always energetic." Yaoyarozu stated. "She's a social girl, no doubt, and she'd got plenty of enthusiasm, but I don't think that I've seen her this happy in quite a long time. I think you're having that direct effect on her, Midoriya. She likes you, clearly."

As if to punctuate the point, in that exact moment, Mina must have felt the three sets of eyes focused on her from the top right corner of the room, because she turned around to see three of the class's top five ranked students in terms of grades looking over at her. Under any other circumstance, it would have creeped her out, but since she knew of Izuku's plans to tell Todoroki about their relationship, she came to the quick and correct conclusion that he had informed him, that Yaoyarozu either overheard or just guessed, and they were discussing the two of them. Figuring this out, Mina gave Izuku a beautiful smile and a wink, tilting her head along with it to make it more obvious, before twirling back around to her group conversation with Kirishama and Hagakure.

"I think that proves my point." Yaoyarozu smiled, pushing aside a strand of her hair from her eye, and a slight tint of pink in her cheeks.

Izuku blushed crimson for perhaps the fourth time that day, and tried to hide his colouring by burying his face into his arms and hands to minimise the visible surface area as much as possible, though he couldn't keep a dumb, big, curly smile off his lips.

Through a small gap in his arm shield, the embarrassed teenager saw Iida finally sit down after going about the daily tasks he claimed were his duty as the Class Representative to do. These tasks included a great deal of miscellaneous jobs, including going to and from the teachers' lounge for whatever reasons, retrieving registers, and a number of tasks Izuku wasn't even aware of. Upon completion of these tasks, he'd always plant himself in his seat at his desk, and await for the lessons to begin.

Izuku had wanted to tell the Engine Quirk user all of this first, and then Uraraka. They had been his friends since the very start of the year, so it almost had felt like an obligation that they got to know first, but since the Zero-Gravity user was nowhere to be found, and Iida had been busy, Todoroki and now Yaoyarozu had learned of this first. Normally Izuku would have waited, but since he and Mina had arrived a bit later than normal, and they were running out of time before homeroom ended, Izuku had just taken whoever was available.

He excused himself as quickly and politely as he could from the two students at their side of him, and shuffled his way over towards the Class Representative, one of the closest friends he had honestly ever had alongside Uraraka, Kacchan before he was trying to kill him every other day, and now Mina, who probably had shot her way to the top of that list, for obvious reasons.

"Hey, uh, Iida?" Izuku patted his friend on the shoulder to get his attention. He felt no anxiety in communicating with the person who was arguably one of the most intense and serious members or their class under regular circumstances. Since their first hostile conversations, he had grown used to interacting with him. Right now though, he had to swallow a lump in his throat. There was no real reason for Iida to be against him and Mina, but all the same, Izuku fretted. Ever since he had first begun to speak with Mina, he seemed to have been doing and thinking a lot of things against his own logic anyway.

Turning in reaction to feeling his shoulder being weighed down, Iida turned around so that half of his face was visible to Izuku. His head was tilted slightly down, so the frame of his spectacles wouldn't interfere with his line of sight. "Midoriya? Is there a problem?" Normally, Iida remained fairly quiet before classes began, preferring to prepare in silence after finishing any duties he needed to perform. Of course, when someone called for him, he was more than willing to respond. He seemed more surprised that it was Izuku who was speaking to him, since he was also one of the quiet ones but more generally, wondering if there was an issue that needed to be addressed.

"No, it's - It's not a problem... I just... Need to talk to you for a second, if you're not busy."

"Not at all." Iida now fully turned around in his seat to look at Izuku face to face. A small clang could be heard as Iida accidentally hit his naturally mechanically integrated leg into his table's leg as he shifted, but he didn't seem bothered by it too much. "What's the matter?"

"I-I just need to talk to you about Mina, that's all."

Suddenly, Izuku froze.

Crap.

He'd called her Mina, hadn't he? Not Ashido, or even Mina-san. Just Mina. No honorifics. Given the polite personality Izuku had, this obviously indicated that something major, and Iida hadn't missed that. If his friend hadn't been interested before, he was now.

"Go ahead, Midoriya." Adjusting his glasses, Iida focused his undivided attention on Izuku. His expression indicated interest. Only a week ago had he learned that Izuku and Mina were on friendly terms, and that had been followed by four days of them being as awkward as humanly possible around one another. Naturally, this had confused him, and when he questioned his friend on it, Izuku told him that there wasn't anything going on. A downright lie, as he was now discovering.

Izuku bit his lip and inhaled sharply. He'd dealt with Todoroki just a few moments prior, who was infinitely more intimidating than Iida was, not to mention that he knew Iida far better than the Half-Hot-Half-Cold user. He could handle this.

"W-Well... We're um... Sorta of... D-Dating." It came out easier this time than with Todoroki, but Izuku still felt himself sweat, for a reason he couldn't explain. Before his friend even had the chance to respond, or even fully comprehend what he had just heard, Izuku flew into a flurry of explanations and qualifiers to the statement, accompanied with widened eyes and frantic hand gestured, being what a frag grenade was to stealth, justifying himself and why he was even telling Iida. "I - Um - This - This only happened l-like, really recently, l-last Saturday a-actually! We - We didn't hide anything - I mean, I-I sort of liked her before... No! That's not - A-Anyway! W-We just thought I-it might be smart to e-explain to our c-closest friends, a-and you've been such a good f-friend to me that I wanted to let you know, so you would understand my erratic behaviour, and - "

"Midoriya. Relax." Iida halted the rambling with an upraised, open, flat palm, indicating for the green haired boy to stop speaking. Izuku obeyed immediately, slapping his hand over his mouth to stop his jaws from unhinging and letting out the verbal vomit that he was holding back. Taking off his spectacles, and cleaning them with his uniforms sleeve, Iida requested, "Run that by me again."

To the Engine user's credit, he didn't pry too much into the private details, not that anything had happened between him and Mina Izuku wouldn't mind sharing. Instead, he listened carefully and intently, not interrupting once, only interjecting at the end to gather some details that he had been unable to hear. For the most part, Izuku had been coherent at the very least, and had managed to control his stutter a lot better than normal, but he still felt like his knees had been replaced with bedsprings.

Once he had the full story, surprisingly, Iida smiled. "I must admit, I'm shocked." He confessed. "It appeared to me that you were the type who would attempt to avoid relationships while training to become a Hero. I misjudged you once again, Midoriya."

For a second, Izuku wasn't sure if he was being insulted or complimented.

"Though I will confess, I am surprised that you have chosen to establish a relationship with Ashido. I didn't think you would be interested in someone like her." The glasses

-wearing student nodded firmly and smiled. "I thank you for informing me of this. I value your friendship as well, and I'm pleased to see that the feeling is reciprocated. Your faith in me isn't misplaced."

Relief and pride swelled through Izuku in that moment, and he was glad he had made the choice to tell Iida about him and Mina. All the same, a huge chunk of oxygen made its way out of his system as he sighed in relaxation. "Thanks, Iida..."

"What the - Are you serious?! Midoriya?!"

Izuku nearly leaped through the roof in shock at such a sudden calling of his name. It wasn't an angry call, nor was it one of jealousy, or demanding. It really was just a call of sheer shock and surprise, disbelief, like the ability to comprehend was impossible, whatever the subject matter was.

Quickly turning around, and nearly knocking into Iida in doing so as quickly as he did, Izuku was faced with Kaminari, who had apparently made his way into the classroom and, judging from how Mina was literally trying to pull him back and throw a hand over his mouth to make him shut up, had just heard from her about their relationship.

Kaminari wasn't the sort to act out of malice, and it seemed incredibly unlikely that the Electrification Quirk user was genuinely jealous in a conceivable manner, but when presented with shock or surprise which made him descend into panic, he had a bad habit of acting without thinking, prone to making irrational choices that he later came to regret. Right now though, he wasn't thinking.

Combining that with his lecherous attitude... Well, he wasn't anywhere close to being on Mineta's level quite yet, but it was enough for this reaction to come out of nowhere.

There wasn't even the shadow of a doubt what was going to happen in Izuku's mind, which was now racing to come up with a way to prevent this disaster from occurring! Every set of eyes in the classroom were on him, Kaminari, and Mina now, he could feel them burning into his skull. None of them had any idea what was going to happen if Izuku didn't get this guy to shut it! His mind raced from just straight up bailing from the entire school premises to throwing his classmate out the window behind him, and every single action in between, no matter how awkward that it might be for him later down the line. Resorting to some sort of compromise his brain had filtered and decided existed, he threw his arms into the symbol of an X and tried desperately to get his blond classmate to quieten down. He wound up hissing himself, to try and get across that he wanted the boy with the natural lightning bolt highlight to please, for the love of God, to shut up! "K-Kaminari, p-please keep your voice low!"

"What's wrong with you?" Jirou, the person Kaminari was seated next to on the class register flatly asked, with a curious eyebrow raised in Izuku's and Kaminari's direction. Her normal expression was otherwise unaltered. "You're acting like a bigger idiot than normal."

"You haven't heard?!"

"Shut up, Kaminariii!" Mina strained, trying her damnedest to pull away the idiot by his collar while Izuku pleaded with him in frantic gestured and hissed messages.

"Heard what?"

"Midoriya and Ashido are dating, that's freaking what!"

Had someone the power to freeze time in that exact moment, they would have achieved a freeze frame of Izuku's wide eyed face light up like a bonfire, Mina's exasperated sigh evacuating her body coupled with her face-palming herself, about ten shocked stares, and Kanimari's guilt racked face as his brain finally caught up to him, and he realised exactly what the holy hell he was doing.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, many members of the class just waiting for someone else to make a statement before making their own. Todoroki could be heard making a loud sigh, but that was pretty much the extent of the sound in the room that could be heard.

"Crap...!" Kaminari glanced between Izuku and Mina, finally figuring out what they had been doing, and what he'd basically destroyed in less than fifteen seconds. He'd overreacted, big time, and in all honesty, he didn't even know why. Surprise mostly. "Midoriya, dude, sorry, I -"

"How did you pull that off, Midoriya?!" Mineta was the one to break the silence, with widened eyes, like he'd just met his Hero. He suddenly began scanning his eyes over Mina, and predictably, one of his infamous perverted comments swiftly followed. "Forget that, what did you pull off?!"

"What the -" Izuku suddenly went scarlet red, and Mina followed suit for lilac, using her arms to cover up her chest with the grey uniforms sleeves to defend herself from their small classmates stare. The implications were clear, and with Mineta, that was about as blunt as he would get. "That - We - No! I-I-It's nothing like that!"

"The hell it isn't! Tell me everything, Midoriya! Throw me a freakin bone here!"

"Do not pry on such inappropriate and private matters, Mineta!" Iida called out, defending his friend and attempting to save him from this embarrassment.

"Damn it, Kaminari!" Mina punched her friend's shoulder, deciding not to hold back since he pretty much deserved it at this point. She didn't mind him normally, but she was beginning to regret trusting him with this, not so much that everyone knowing like this bothered her too much, but it clearly bothered Izuku.

"I said I was sorry!"

The whole room basically descended into noise from that point on, nearly everyone throwing in their opinions and questions all at once, so the only thing that could be asserted with certainty was that there was a bunch of people making noise. Anything else was open to interpretation. Barely anyone could hear anyone over anything that was currently happening in the room right about now, and for the quieter students like Todoroki and Kouda, and the more serious and mature students like Yaoyarozu and Shouji, the room became nothing more than a collection of people fighting and yelling at one another, almost like a theatre performance.

Izuku meanwhile, wished he had a Quirk that let him just fall through the floor and never come back up. Right now was pretty much the one thing he feared about disclosing his and Mina's relationship - Becoming the centre of attention in the fullest capacity possible. Mina was doing her best to reassure him and calm his hyperactive thinking down, but this only proved to have limited effects.

How had this all escalated so quickly?

"What in the fuck is going on?!"

Roaring above every other person in the room, with such violent force behind the yell that it practically demanded that everyone else shut their mouths or be turned to ash, thundered Bakugou's voice.

He was stood in the doorway, his uniform as always scruffy, lacking the tie altogether, and the top two buttons of his white shirt undone. He looked tired to boot, dark bags underneath his eyes for whatever reason, and had walked in on the room essentially in a free for all shouting fest. Clearly, he was in even less of a mood for this then he normally would be.

The room fell completely silent for a few seconds, and everyone turned to face the Explosion Quirk user. Small, red eyes darted from person to person, waiting for a reply. Upon noticing Izuku, and that he was the centre of all of this noise, Bakugou's mouth made a scowl.

Meanwhile, Izuku was practically sweating buckets right now. There was no way to gauge Kacchan's response. No amount of thinking helped him come to any sort of conclusion regarding this particular classmate of his. Bakugou really could go either way in this scenario, but given what he knew about his childhood classmate... He prepared himself for a bombardment of explosions.

Before anyone could respond, another series of footsteps came pattering from down the corridor, joining Bakugou at the front door to the classroom, but standing about two or three steps behind him when she came into view. Uraraka stood onto her tip-toes to look over Bakugou's shoulder, to see the scene that the classroom was currently in. Her previously soft expression devolved into one that was barely even an expression at all.

"Ummm..." She glanced over everything, only to become completely and utterly confused. Evidently, she hadn't been expecting this first thing in the morning, just like everybody else. The Zero-Gravity Quirk user fretted over saying anything to break the horrible silence that hung overhead, only doing so because her curiosity bested her. Timidly, she the least imposing question that she could think of. "Whats... Going on?"

"That's what I'd like to fucking know." Bakugou responded, as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet. "Anyone gonna speak up or what?"

"It's Midoriya and Ashido!" Unintimidated by Bakugou's loud yelling, Mineta answered both him, and the person who he was really intending to inform, Uraraka. "Midoriya managed to pull himself a girl before any of us did!" The use of the word us was intended, not limiting the reference people to just the males. Mineta of all people wasn't about to rule out any of the girls getting girlfriends. God knew that he'd have fun if that were the case.

Once more, Mina really wished that Mineta just... Stopped speaking. At all times. Did he even give a damn about the bad blood between Bakugou and Izuku? He had seen the fight the two of them had during their first combat training session, hadn't he? And even if, somehow, he hadn't figured out their relationship yet... Had he not even gauged Bakugou's personality at all yet?!

In a twist, the one who showed the most obvious reaction, one of clear shock, was Uraraka. She didn't say anything, but her eyes shot wide open, and her mouth dropped, darting between the pink girl, and freckled boy in clear disbelief. But it was more than just surprise. Part of her almost looked... Hurt. Like she'd been betrayed. She covered it up well, quickly converting that into just unexpected shock again, but for a brief moment, she looked heartbroken.

Izuku was unable to blame her. Not even slightly. This hadn't been how he'd wanted his best friend to find out about this. Could there have been a worse way to learn like this? It just looked like he was a huge liar now, hiding everything from her. Like he'd taken her trust and abused it. He owed her nothing, of course he didn't, it wasn't like he was under some sort of obligation to inform her of every little detail that happened to him, but all the same, he felt like he'd betrayed her.

The two of them locked eyes, Izuku's only able to convey just how apologetic he felt that this had been how she learned about him and Mina. 'I'm so sorry.' His eyes said. 'This isn't what I had in mind.'

Attention shifted to Bakugou, who didn't make any notable reactions. No one was sure if that was a good or bad sign when it came to the spiky, blond haired individual. He was like dynamite, just waiting for that reaction between flame and Nitroglycerine to meet before demolishing a construction site. But that explosion never came. After an audible scoff, he made his way to his desk without a word, throwing his bag on the floor as he normally did, letting it hit the legs of his desk, and sat himself down, swinging his legs onto his desks surface without a word.

"You don't have anything to say to that?!" The Pop-Off Quirk user sounded genuinely surprised, and at that point, Mina had to question, was he seriously trying to start a fight of some sort?!

Although she would admit, she was equally as shocked. This was the same guy who basically declared war on that guy from Class 1-B who had the Copy Quirk for daring to copy Bakugou's power, to the point of abandoning a ten million point prize just to eradicate them from the competition. Why he wouldn't react to this was beyond comprehension. What -

"What fucking difference does it make?!" Bakugou erupted at Mineta, slamming his fist into the desk and turning his full body to face the lecherous pervert, who jumped behind his seat at the explosion of his classmate.

Every single set of eyes was now focused squarely on Bakugou now, many of them equally surprised. Expectations would have suggested that Bakugou would have done everything in his power to brutally murder Izuku, but instead, he'd done quite the opposite.

"Why the hell would I give a damn about who Deku's trying to fuck?" Bakugou added sharply, glaring at the class's smallest member so ferociously they looked fit to detonate like a Stielhandgranate. The sheer blunt force of that statement nearly caused so much heat to shoot into Izuku's face that he came close to passing out. Mina also threatened to fall over in embarrassment. "Fucking Deku can crawl into bed with whoever the fuck he likes, I couldn't give a shit! He wants to waste his damn time with whatever crap he's got in mind, fucking let the prick! Just keep the damn noise down, before I throw one of you fuckers out the fucking window!" With a show of his teeth firmly clenched, he turned around again and faced the front of the classroom, and remained silent for the rest of the conversation.

Had he not made it clear he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the discussion, Izuku would have actually thanked him. The honest truth was, he had had the one reaction that Izuku wanted everyone else to have. To simply not care. Those who displayed a sense of acceptance and faith, those were welcome too, but Izuku preferred people to just not care. To see it as what it was - Just two people who liked one another and wanted to spend time together. Really, it wasn't anyone else's business. It shouldn't matter to anyone else. And somehow, Bakugou was the only person who saw it like that.

The remainder of the students seem to realise this, and seemed to phase quietly back into the background, forming the normal groups again, bar a few people, quickly and began to discuss the current events. A few even moved back into their previous topics.

Kaminari was one of the few who didn't go back to his original position. Instead, he ran his hands through his natural highly and bit his lower lip. He bowed his head towards Mina and Izuku, showing his remorse. "Crap, I'm... I'm really sorry, you two. I didn't think before I, y'know..."

As much as he wanted to, Izuku couldn't hold a grudge. He tried to remain angry, but he simply couldn't. Sighing, he shook his head. "I-Its fine, Kaminari... People were gonna find out anyway... A-At least now it's out of the way."

"You sure you're okay, Midori?" Mina asked fully of worry, placing a hand gently onto his shoulder. Her darkened eyes conveyed the real concern that she felt for her boyfriend, her gentle touch conveying a lot more than her words would ever be able to.

Nodding, Izuku reassured her with a small smile. "Y-Yeah, Mina-san... I-It's okay."

Staring at one another for a few seconds, Mina took the initiative, and wrapped Izuku into a large, warm hug, her arms sliding around his torso, and pulling herself close to him, and resting her head on his shoulder. It was the only thing she could think of to comfort the certainly humiliated late Quirk bloomer, plus it was something she desired in equal measure. Warmth. Contact. Closeness.

Love.

Overtaken with surprise at her sudden display of affection, Izuku burst out into another shade of red. It wasn't that he disliked it - Quite the opposite, but he was taken aback was all. "Wh-What - M-Mina, what - What are you -"

"Just accept the hug, 'kay, Midori?" The Acid Quirk girl's gentle voice so close to Izuku's ear... He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to that beautiful voice being so softly spoken so close to him... "I wanna hug after all that. You look like you could use one."

It took him a few seconds to respond to it, but eventually, he returned the warm gesture. He was a bit shaky in doing so, the aforementioned conversation with every member of the classroom still affecting him subconsciously. The anxiety was gone now, but its properties still lingered around his body and nerves.

Mina could feel his shakes through their physical contact. It only made her more determined to hug him better. A few more sets of eyes had returned to stare at the two of them, no doubt surprised at this openly public display of affection, but Mina couldn't care less anymore.

Uraraka hadn't said a word throughout watching this entire thing unfold. And she didn't get the chance before Aizawa-sensei walked through the door and begun homeroom sessions.

* * *

Monday's typically didn't do combat practice sessions. That was how the rule went, but for whatever reason, today was an exception to that rule. According to All Might, they had to pick up the pace of their training sessions before the end of term exams came up, to give the students the best chance of passing possible.

So for the first time in a while, a Monday would see the beginning of a new timetable for Class 1-A. One that dictated that there would be more combat sessions a week. For someone like Bakugou, that was absolutely perfect news. His eerie grin spread as he heard this news, small sparks flying from his palms.

That was how the entire class had changed into their Hero costumes and made their way to training ground Sierra. It was pretty much the same as grounds Beta, except this place was an open village type of deal, and allowed the participants to go from building to building as part of their training session.

What that session was however, was something certain interesting.

"Colour tag?"

"Indeed!" All Might beamed with his ever present smile and spoke with his utmost confidence, holding in his hands, a selection of coloured tags that could be fastened to specially designed belts via Velcro. Some were red, some green, some white, etc. The aim of this training session is to see which of you is able to render a target unable to battle first!"

"I'm liking the sound of this more and more." Bakugou smirked.

"In order to avoid injury, we'll be using the method of colour tag. You'll see that in my hand here, I have these tags. Each of you will be given one of these each, that you have to apply somewhere onto your body, wherever you desire, as long as it is possible for an opponent to grab hold of it!"

Iida, being the class rep, was given the duty of handing out the coloured tags to each of the students. He made sure to do this as quickly as possible. Izuku and Mina stood next to one another, and gave each other a glance as they were both given a red tag each.

"Maybe we'll be on the same team?" Mina asked, hopeful.

Unlikely, since the odds of that were about one in ten, but Izuku nodded, hoping that the laws of maths would be disregarded for this particular day.

"The rules are simple!" All Might continued once every member had their tags. "You can use your Quirks as freely as you desire, but the goal is to steal your opponent's tags. One your tag has been stolen, you can still fight and steal your tags back, so it may be worth going on the offensive at that point. However, you can't give your ally their tag back - They have to acquire it themselves. The first team to lose both of their tags are the losers. Outside of these restrictions, anything goes!"

The rules were easy enough to understand, Izuku considered. He remembered playing a similar game in pre-school with Kacchan and crew before they hated the Quirkless boy. Whenever someone had their tag ripped away, they had to desperately try to steal one back. The side with the most tags was only different in the sense that it was all or nothing. Each side needed all the tags in order to win, so it was possible that one person could sway the entire match.

Speed was the name of the game here, as well as reaction time. The faster students would be able to dart in and steal tags quicker and win the match. At the same time, students with heightened reflexes, like Mina, would be able to counter that speed and dodge, and maybe even launch a counter attack. This was the sort of thing Mina, Iida, Bakugou and Siro were practically designed for.

"You will be working in pairs for this assignment!" The world's number one Hero declared, and to his side, the large computer monitor was already selecting teams, choosing students at random like a slot machine.

Mina sighed in disappointment, suddenly realising that the colours were meaningless in relation to who was going to be paired up with who. The chances of them working together still remained the same statistically, but she still would have liked to think that fate had declared that Izuku and she would be paired together.

Starting things off, the first teams were Jirou and Todoroki. The two didn't share Quirks that would be of high compatibility, but neither of them seemed particularly bothered by their assigned partner. They would be going up against Mineta and Hagakure. Mina could almost feel Hagakure's exasperation from a good ten meters away, while Mineta was basically drooling at the prospect of being teamed up with a girl who was basically naked, even if she was invisible.

Yaoyorozu and Kaminari were up next, and they were to fight Bakugou and Shouji. A far more even match up than the previous one, although Kaminari looked terrified at the prospect of fighting Bakugou.

Then came Izuku's name. His name was selected first, and the second roll began to spin, selecting his partner. The slot machine randomly chose the name he was to be teamed with. It skimmed over the remaining names that hadn't been selected. Each name was shown next to the green haired boy's.

Mina's name slowly came into view, and for a second, it looked like they might actually be assigned together... But it kept scrolling, just one position further.

Midoriya Izuku and Kirishima Ejirou.

"Alright!" The hardening Quirk user seemed happy by the selection, appearing out of nowhere to pat Izuku's shoulder, and show off a grin with his sharp teeth visible. "Let's knock 'em dead, Midoriya!"

"R-Right!..." Izuku nodded shakily at his newly selected partner. He couldn't help but feel a twang of disappointment, but he supposed that a Hero couldn't choose who he worked with all the time. In the heat of the moment, it really came down to luck.

"Aww..." Mina groaned in disappointment, but she had the same thought process that Izuku had, and got over it fairly quickly. With a smirk, she tilted her head and pointed at Red Riot. "Make sure you take care of my boyfriend, got it Kirishima?"

"M-Mina!" Izuku flushed crimson at the word 'Boyfriend'. Such a public declaration!...

Kirishima grinned and let out a small laugh. "Midoriya's man enough. He can look after himself, ain't that right? I'd be more worried about you."

Mina needed a second to understand the meaning of those words, but when she turned to face the screen, she saw exactly what was going on. The pink girl almost wanted to smile and laugh at the face of irony here, but another part of her wanted to protest this arrangement. It really came down to what Mina knew... And she knew that this wasn't going to be what tore them apart, if they ever were. They were Heroes in training. They had all signed up for this. They all knew that they would be put into comfortable positions occasionally that they didn't want to deal with, but that wasn't an excuse for them to just give it up.

If anything, a refusal to give it her all would be what tore her and Izuku apart.

"Hey, Midori." She said, with a smile. "No holding back, and no hard feelings, yeah?"

"R...Right! O-Of course!"

Midoriya Izuku and Kirishama Ejirou VS Uraraka Ochako and Ashido Mina.

* * *

 **As of December 1st, I am now 18 years old, so sorry this took a bit longer to update than usual =_= It annoyed me as much as it did you guys. I also now have a girlfriend who I spend time with, so that takes up a bit of time (I know you're reading this. Hello Jess ^_^) College has been a pain, and I finished this chapter while sick as holy hell, so basically a lot of stuff has been happening. I'll try and get things sorted for next week.**

 **Kaminari isn't a bad guy. He's just an idiot. Truth be told, since we saw his reaction to Izuku being cornered by naked clothes melty girl in the manga, I figured he might react this way. I couldn't see Mineta being told by either Izuku or Mina, and he's the one we all know would spout this aloud for Bakugou to hear, so Kaminari was mainly just a conductor - Ironic, given his Quirk. Uraraka will be looked at in detail more. Trust me, I have a plan for her.**

 **And it's hilarious to think that Bakugou is the only one who didn't really have an opinion of Izuku and Mina. When I wrote him, for some reason I imagined that's him in support of LGBT. "What fucking difference does it make?!" I agree, Bakugou!**

 **My thought process aside, I hope you all enjoyed.**


	9. Stop Worrying!

"So, we pretty much just have to nab Ashido's and Uraraka's tags, and make sure we keep at least one of ours at a time, and we should be able to win, right?" Kirishama had revised the rules of the match with Izuku while the two of them awaited the Clarkson to sound for the training session to begin. The two teenagers found themselves stood on top of a multi-story building that was built to resemble an apartment lot, similar to the one Izuku lived in alongside his mother, except this was a lot taller.

It gave them a good overview of the rest of the training site, letting the Hardening and the One For All Quirk users to commit the layout to memory. In doing so, a plan of attack was an easy thing to create when you could see all the good ambush points and escape routes. Kirishima was looking intensely over the edge, to look for any good spots to make note of. Normally Izuku would have been right there alongside him, making plans and thinking a few steps ahead as to what options they had.

Not this time though.

"R-Right..." Izuku nodded, in confirmation. "We should have the advantage..." Theoretically, he and his partner had good Quirks for this sort of task. Long range Quirks were of limited effectiveness in this situation, since it required the users to get in close, where they may be at their weakest. It was like putting Sero or Aoyama in a close quarters fight. They would only have limited effectiveness. Since One For All and Hardening were strictly Close-Quarters-Combat Quirks, it would give them an edge in stealing their opponents tags.

Of course, Mina and Uraraka weren't weak in close quarters. Far from it. Both of their Quirks were also valuable when it came to close range conflict, Uraraka more so than Mina. Since the pink girl had an emission type Quirk, it meant that by classification, she would be better suited at medium range. Mina was quick on the draw though, and could secrete Acid from pretty much anywhere on her body, and use this to her advantage. In close range, she was just as dangerous as Kirishama was. Possibly more so, since her powers could allow her to erode away his powerful defence, and by extension, break his offence.

Not that this information seemed to bother the red haired Hero in training. In fact, he grinned, and slammed his fists together, in conjunction with the activation of his Quirk, the impact sending sparks flying either way, and sending a sound like two swords classing in a duel from his actions. "All right! This looks like it's gonna be pretty fun, eh Midoriya?"

"Not sure if I'd say fun, but I guess I see what you mean..." Unlike his teammate, Izuku hadn't been stood, taking in the sight of the training ground at the edge of the rooftop. He'd instead opted to sit down by a wall, thinking about the people he was going to have to fight.

"Hey, are you alright?" As he asked this, Kirishama attached his white coloured tag to his belt, the same one that kept up his waist-mounted cape, marking the position he would have to defend. "You seem down."

"D-Don't worry, I-Im fine! " Izuku jumped to reassure his classmate quickly, awkwardly laughing as he did so, fooling no one of his status. It had been a poor, in-vain attempt to save himself the inevitable embarrassment that was about to come in.

"It's Ashido, right?" It didn't take much for the Hardening Quirk user to figure out. He had been one of the original people Mina had admitted her feelings for Izuku to. He imagined that she felt the same was Izuku was feeling, particularly given their recent announcement. If he knew one thing about Midoriya, it was that he put his all into whatever he did. He didn't mess around. If he had agreed to date Ashido, then he was serious about it. It was one of the things Kirishama respected about Izuku. Say what you like about him, he was hard-wired when it came to anything he did.

Looking away to the side, and feeling his hands unconsciously turn into tightly gripped fists, the green haired boy gave his answer without ever meaning to.

Izuku was bothered by what was happening. Of course he was! It would be crazy for him not to be. He was being forced to fight his best friend and his new girlfriend in a combat scenario. Of course he wasn't alright. He was being forced to fight two people he never wanted to fight at any point in his life. Naturally, he knew a Hero didn't really get the choice as to who they worked with or against who, but he still didn't like this.

As much as he justified the fight to himself as a necessity on the road to becoming the Hero All Might believed he could become, that he himself wanted to become more than anything else on this planet, and how he and Mina and agreed that they would give the fight everything that they had with no negative feelings towards the other, Izuku still felt uneasy about getting into a genuine fight of the fists with her.

The feeling that someone got when they had to fight - As in, full-fledged Quirk-and-all fight - someone they cared about deeply... Care so much, that just thinking about that other person's name would send a flutter throughout the blood pumping organ, and butterflies into the stomach... Someone who was probably the closest friend of a person... To raise a hand against them, in any sort of environment... It felt wrong.

Reluctant to admit it, Izuku nodded slowly. "I don't... I don't really want to fight her. It feels wrong."

"I thought you two agreed to no hard feelings?" In asking, Kirishama scratched atop his head in confusion. "I don't get what the problem is."

One For All's current owner bit his lower lip and looked over the edge of the building, looking at the skyline. Bright blue. It was edging towards two-thirty in the afternoon, but still the sun hung his in the air as though it were midday. Two battles before this one had gone ahead, and each of them had been a spectacle to watch. In his head, he'd steeled himself beforehand, prepared to engage in the exercise he had to with full force. Now that he was here, that had all been reduced to mush.

"I... Me neither." Izuku sighed. "I guess... Mina-san has been really kind to me lately, and I... We only just... You - You know... Begun d-dating..." That word once again made his cheeks flare up crimson, almost like a code-word to reduce him to rubble. "I guess I'm just... Still getting used to everything, and this came around before I'd figured anything out."

It made sense to Kirishama, who crossed his arms across his bare, muscular chest and nodded in his understanding. He knew Midoriya as the type to think things through, to plan before making a move. He placed more value on his intelligence than he did his destructive force, a trait very few members of the class seemed to follow, Kirishama included. The more holes each member could punch through a wall, the better they seemed to do. Bakugou, Todoroki, himself, hell, even Mina were all pretty good at combat related subjects. Grades varied between them, but none of them applied a lot of thinking to their fighting. Bakugou had his instincts, sure, but that wasn't quite the same as intelligence. Not that any of them were particularly stupid, they just prioritised different things.

Suddenly, before Kirishama could interject with his opinion, a loud buzzing noise, one that prompted both he and his teammate to cover their ears due to its high volume and intensity, rang overhead. Sounding like a cross between a fire alarm, an air raid siren and an ambulance, both knew it as the Clarkson to begin the match immediately. After all their time at Yuuei, it was unmistakable. It vibrated through the air, violently shocking up the molecules that made it up, before coming to a stop as quickly as it started about five seconds later.

Removing his hands from his ears, Izuku blinked a few times before he sighed and stoop upright, resigning himself to the match fate had laid out for him.

"If you want my take on it Midoriya, if someone I cared about went easy on me in this situation, I think that'd annoy me more."

Looking straight at his teammate, Izuku saw how serious Kirishama was about what he had said. For a second, Izuku didn't know what to make of the statement, and wanted to accuse the Hardening Quirk user of not having any idea what he'd want in that situation.

After that brief second passed, Izuku realised, Kirishama was right.

For all his overthinking and over-analysis, Izuku's main flaw with this was that he sometimes overlooked the single most obvious solutions, the simplest things in life. This really came down to a couple of facts.

That both he and Mina were training to be Heroes, and that they both liked one another.

If they both were to become Heroes, they couldn't afford to go easier on one another simply die to their relationship. In fact, the opposite was true. They had to be ever harsher on one another to help one another achieve their goals. If they didn't go all out, if they didn't fight and push the other to the limit, what was the point of them even training together at all? Izuku may as well ask to be transferred to Class 1-B if that was going to be his attitude.

And the second reason was, if one side of them losing a mock battle was going to put a strain on their relationship, then they were inevitably doomed. If they did like one another, then the winner of this match should be completely irrelevant. They should understand. Hell, it shouldn't even require them to think like that. Winning and losing? It shouldn't be relevant. Why on earth should they even begin to feel like this was a contest between them? This was what they studied for - What they trained for.

If they both held back, then they both lost, and it would be unfair to their teammates. It really was that simple. Plus Ultra. That was the mantra Yuuei students lived by. If they forgot that now, or if they just ignored it, then they were screwed.

Mina could even take it worse if he didn't go all out on her. It could imply he felt she was frailer than she actually was, that she couldn't hold her own. It'd be like insulting her.

Without warning, Izuku slapped his cheeks with both his hands at the same time to get himself to snap out of his stupor. Once he'd done that, he snapped both his hands into fists and nodded towards Kirishama. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

His ally grinned, showing off his sharp teeth once again. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Good, 'cause I already can see 'em."

Surprised to hear this, Izuku made his way towards the edge of the building to see the surrounding buildings, some still freshly damaged by the previous battles. As it turned out, bright pink, white, and a psychedelically brightly lit leotard stood out quite drastically against dark grey and lack of colour. Uraraka and Mina were a few paces apart, Uraraka about a meter and a half behind the Acid Quirk user, presumably guarding from attacks that came out from behind them.

It looked like they were planning on just charging in head first and seeing what happened. They had remained on ground level, despite having been given the option to start pretty much anywhere they desired. Their lack of long range type attacks, and a limit to their Quirks versatility must have contributed to that strategy. Unlike Kirishama and Izuku, their Quirks only had limited usage. Going out headstrong was probably the best option they had.

'Go all out, or there isn't a point.' Izuku repeated in his head. Mina wouldn't hold it against him. Seeing the gap between the two girls whom he interacted with regularly lessen, he swallowed, and glanced at his partner. "Kirishama, how durable is your Quirk? How much impact can you take in one strike?"

"Hard as rock. You'll need to batter me a while before my Quirk'll reach its limit." The Hardening Quirk user demonstrated his Quirk on his left hand, striking it with his right had a few times, like he were sharpening two knives against one another.

"What about a fall from this height? Would you be able to withstand that?"

"Piece of cake." Kirishama then tilted his head, arching an eyebrow above his scarred eye. "What've you got in mind, Midoriya?"

* * *

Before Uraraka had even really had the time to comprehend what she had heard when Izuku and Mina were revealed to be dating, homeroom had begun, and left her in a wild flurry of emotion that she couldn't even begin to describe in any capacity. She had felt... So much that she didn't even know what to think anymore.

There had been... A combination of the joyful initial reactions, which filled her with little more than happiness and joy for her close friends, hoping that they would be happy together, and would let her know all the details. But this was drowned out very quickly by something Uraraka hadn't been aware that she'd even possessed. There was sadness. A genuine, blue gloom that had fallen over the Zero-Gravity user. The part of her that had wanted to squeal had been sent to die by the part of her that wanted to scream.

But why? Why had this feeling come to her, when she should be feeling nothing but glee for them? She hadn't been able to come up with an answer by the time she and Ashido had made their way to the battle grounds.

She sat next to Ashido on a bench the two of them had found outside a building meant to represent a supermarket, which had been the site of an intense fight between Tsuyu and Iida's teams. Taking off her helmet until the Clarkson sounded, Uraraka played with the bangs that dangled in front of her face. She wasn't sure what exactly there was to even say. The fact there was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to send Mina floating into the stratosphere was something that genuinely scared the brunette. What the hell was wrong with her?! How could she even think something like that?

Visibly, she shuddered, like a poltergeist had just phased through her body and left her with a chill. Shaking her head violently, she looked to start a conversation with Mina, but didn't know what to say. She liked Mina. She considered Mina to be a good friend. Her quirky personality that exerted energy was always there whenever she needed the comfort or pick-me-up, and Mina was the sweetest thing in their entire class.

So why did Uraraka feel like she was in direct contest with the girl to her side for some reason?

"You okay, Uraraka?" The voice snapped the contemplating partner back into reality, where she found a worrying theory stuck into her head. "Something wrong?"

 _'Am I ... Jealous of Mina?_ '

"No, I'm alright!" The rosy cheeked girl shook her head rapidly to dispel any ideas that she was troubled, despite very clearly being so. In a hurried attempt to shift the conversation, she brought up the first subject she could think of. Given her thought process, she regretted it as soon as she finished her sentence. "I was actually wondering, since we've got a bit of time to kill, how did you and Deku end up an item?"

Mina blinked twice, then took off her white face mask, and rubbed her eyes. It had been on a bit too tightly, and was slightly angled in a way that uncomfortably left her eyes feeling like they were bulging out her head. Fondly, she recalled the series of events that lead them to their weekend date not three days ago. "I sorta asked him out last Monday. You know, after you and Iida left to catch your own trains."

It had been then? Uraraka felt her eyes widen just a bit. It had been then of all times? She'd barely been gone before Mina had asked?

"We just kind of admitted we liked each other after our date, and well, here we are!" Her trademark smile broke out as she finished her sentence, adding on a small chime to her final word, letting it drag on a few seconds longer than it absolutely had to. It had to have been the most bare-boned explanation she could have possibly given to Uraraka, but it wasn't like there really was a whole lot more to it.

"So... You like him then?"

"Of course I do!" Giggling to herself and looking like she was on the verge of jumping up and performing a ceremonious dance to expel the sheer energy she was filled with, Mina grinned. "Izuku's tough and smart. He's kind of a nerd, but he's really sweet and cute. And he's kind of surprising the more time you spend with him. He beat me at Dance Dance Revolution, for God's sake!" At that point, she did just burst out laughing at the memory of him flailing around like an utter lunatic and somehow gathering more points than she did. Only a second later did she realise she'd called him by his first name, but that didn't matter too much.

Disregarding her shock at the fact that Izuku of all people, had beaten Mina of all people, at a game based on reactions of all things, the thing that Uraraka hung onto in that myriad of information was how fondly, and how easily openly Mina used Deku's first name. She knew that Mina wasn't the best example of formality - In fact, literally the opposite - But even she used her honorifics. The fact she didn't... Wasn't that a statement as to how close they were, despite being together for so little? Shouldn't she be happy for them?

What was it that Uraraka felt now then? Part of it was a feeling of envy, that Mina seemed to be so unbridledly happy right now that she seemed fit to burst, and the young girl wondered what it felt like to be that jovial thanks to another person. Maybe it was a touch of anxiety and insecurity that Mina and Deku were the first people in their class to officially be a couple. Maybe a drop of sadness and worry that Deku might drift away from her and Iida slightly because of Mina...

It... Couldn't be that it was jealous that Mina was with Izuku? As in, that it was Izuku, of all the people in the class that she'd managed to get a date with? Her best friend? It...

That... That couldn't be it, could it?

"S-So... A-Aren't you a bit worried about fighting him here then?" Uraraka questioned further, this time leaning a bit further into the conversation. She noticed her voice wavering as she asked, a worrying sign.

"Nope!" Came the instant reply with next to no hesitation. In doing so, Mina threw her face mask back on, continuing to speak as she fiddled with the eye-holes, practically humming a tune as she spoke. "Midori and I both wanna be Heroes. That's why we're here, so I know any punches or hits we trade are just occupational deals. He... His Quirk is a lot stronger than mine is, but I'm not just gonna give him a free win. One of us has to lose the match, so I'm not gonna be upset if I lose." She tightened the appendages at the back of her head, until she heard the fabric hit the back of her head. In doing so, she smiled and grinned. "He has to be thinking the same way. I'm not just gonna let him win without a fight."

Was it that Uraraka was jealous of just how happy Mina was... Or was it because it was Izuku that made her happy?

The second thought caused her nothing but blushing distress. Izuku was her best friend, not some dumb high school crush! But then why was her heart both beating and breaking at once?

She sighed. Right now, Mina had to be the worst possible person for her to be partnered with. Bakugou would have been better. She would have preferred Bakugou. Bakugou at least wouldn't be causing her this level of distress. She'd just be terrified that he'd throw her into a building. Something manageable.

In that moment, the Clarkson rang aloud, deafening the two girls for a few seconds.

"Owww..." Mina moaned, shaking her head to try and snap herself back into reality. "Why do they make those things so loud?..."

"Come on." Uraraka stood up, and fastened her helmet onto her head and the rest of her costume, knocking down the visor to slightly obscure her face. "We should get going."

"Yeah." Mina nodded, getting up while doing a little hop with that exuberant energy she always had. "Let's go~!" She led the way, her left hand constantly pumping into the air as she walked, like she was leading a marching band.

Following closely behind, Uraraka made sure her colour tag was firmly attached to her Hero Costume's shin guards. Mina's was attached using the specially grafted belts since her costume didn't have a good point of holding by default, holstered at the waistline. The waist had to be the most obvious choice, Uraraka thought, and a moving leg would be more difficult to grab ahold of than a fairly stationary waistline.

They walked about two meters apart at the most, Mina not really noticing the gap between them since she was leading from the front, and had to be alert because of it.

It wasn't an entirely intentional choice that Uraraka made to be further away from Mina. Her mind was in overload, and she was thinking far too much about something too stupid to be of importance, especially not during the middle of lesson time, and it was causing her to lag behind. When she noticed this gap, she made an effort to shorten it.

Only to be cut off by a foreign cry from a sentient ballistic missile.

"Rrrrrrraaaaargh!"

* * *

"You ready?"

Hardening his skin to its most durable levels, Kirishama nodded. This plan was certainly very Midoriya-like, no question about that whatsoever. Incredibly unorthodox, and it wasn't the kind of plan someone could have come up with on the fly. He'd planned this through. He'd taken what he knew about both their Quirks, and formulated a strategy and this plan of attack around both. It was clever.

"Let's rock this." Was the Hardening Quirk user's response.

Nodding, Izuku grabbed a tight hold of the cog-shaped arm holsters that ran from Kirishama's shoulders, and activated his own Quirk. The power that surged throughout his veins whenever he activated One For All was still like adrenaline implanted straight to his bloodstream, but he was getting less of that rush right now, because he was only using 5% of his Quirk's full power to not break his bones. It was significantly weaker than his full power, but it was still nothing to laugh at.

He was easily capable of picking up Kirishama, and spinning him in a circle once, twice, and then, with careful aim, throw him overhead, directly at Uraraka and Mina, using the Sturdy Hero as an improvised Tank shell, and with about as much force as one too.

"Arizona Smash!"

The second the kinetic energy transferred to Kirishama, he went flying at an incredible speed, plummeting towards the opposing team so quickly that neither of them even really had the time to reach before the human-shell smashed into the ground, throwing up a dust cloud, sending cracks spiralling throughout the concrete on the road with ruthless force, and sending both the targets flying back, but they remained covered by a thick layer of the dirt that was flying through the air.

Using his Quirk to leap down safely, Izuku launched himself from atop the apartment-like building, down to a two-story complex, and then across the road to the supermarket building, and finally made his way onto the ground, all before the dust had cleared. His plan was a simple shock-and-awe tactic, using Kirishama as a method to cause some serious shock, the plan was to dash behind Mina and Uraraka, and steal their tags while they were distracted.

This would have worked had the two girls been thrown backwards like Izuku had predicted.

Upon making contact with the ground, and recovering himself from the initial impact, Kirishama had deactivated his Quirk in order to crack his now stiff bones. He did a sharp crack to his neck before he felt like normal again. "Damn, Midoriya can throw... Argh, nearly knocked my Quirk straight offa me."

Broken out of his thoughts by rapidly encroaching footsteps, Kirishama looked around desperately, for any sign of an individual within the thick smog thrown up, like a shadow or silhouette, or anything that would imply a location for him to work with.

Rapidly, they grew closer.

Behind him!

Using his arm like a sword, Kirishama spun around and swung his Hardened arm, aiming for the region where the head would be. Just because his opponents were women, that didn't mean he had any intention of going easy on them.

His actions were rewarded by a slosh of Acid covering his arm and parts of his torso, covering him in a dissolving and stinging liquid. Mina had regulated the viscosity and concentration to a level strong enough to wipe Kirishama's Quirk straight off of his body, but not enough to mark him with any permanent damage. With regular acid, this would be impossible, but this was Mina's Quirk. She could make her deadly Quirk as harmless as she desired if she wanted to.

"Aaargh!" Kirishama growled at the stinging pain against his bare akin, and leaped backwards to gain some distance. He needed to keep away from Mina at least, for until his Quirk was ready to activate again. Fighting while his Quirk was disabled was a huge disadvantage. Running away wasn't manly, but he didn't have a whole lot of other options, between Midoriya slinging him like a spear, and his shower of acidity, he needed time to recover.

"Uraraka!"

* * *

Outside the dust cloud, only hearing the sounds of battle from inside, Izuku tried to pinpoint a location where his teammate and his opponents were, albeit unsuccessfully. The thick layers of dust and dirt only stung at his eyes when he tried to peer in. If he could only figure out a way to get rid of all this dust...

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. Shockwaves. If he could generate one that shot through the air, then it would act in a manner similar to that of wind, and disperse the cloud, restoring visibility.

"No better chance to try this out, I guess..."

He just needed a few seconds to prepare his Quirk. And his nerves.

* * *

From the inside of the match on the inside of the foggy battlefield, Kirishama found himself floating into the air, now about two feet of the ground. Trying to fight the lack of gravity didn't yield any sort of constructive result. He was too far off the ground to grab hold of something to keep him on the earth's surface. The experience could not be more disorientating.

It was Uraraka's Quirk. Taking advantage of the muscular teenager being distracted by Mina, Uraraka had charged in and tapped Kirishama with her fingers sensory pads, completely removing the force of gravity from his body, causing him to float up.

Since his Quirk only worked by physical transmission, there was nothing he could do to stop the two young girls from stealing his tag, and putting them in the lead. Their quick reflexes and recovery time had helped turn what sound have been a huge disadvantageous start into one that would give them three out of four of the tags needed.

"Awesome!" Mina shouted aloud at the success of their counter attack. For it being completely done on the go, it had actually been very effective. Turning to Uraraka, Mina suggested, "Hey, use your Quirk on me. I'll jump up and grab his colour ta -"

Cut off before she could finish, Uraraka began to float into the air on her own, the girl having used her Quirk on herself. Even with her face slightly blocked thanks to the opaque pink visor she had on, it was clear that she was holding herself from spilling her guts onto the floor as nausea took her over. This was the main reason Mina had volunteered herself to grab hold of Kirishama's colour tag, but it looked like Uraraka wasn't interested in that plan.

"...Or you could do that, I guess." Mina trailed off, blinking a few times. Whether or not that was due to some debris hitting her black sclera, or her own confusion was up to speculation. The pink girl was curious as to what was causing the brunette to so recklessly use her Quirk despite knowing fully well that it would cause her power's drawbacks to kick in. "Uraraka, wouldn't it make more sense for me to do this? Won't doing that make you sick?"

"I'm... Fine..." A lie seeped through tightly shut lips and a strained throat trying to keep back the sickness. Even her Hero Costume's pressure point system, specifically designed to limit the drawbacks of her Quirk wasn't enough to fully protect the Zero-Gravity Quirk user from the full extent of her use of the ability on herself. It always threw her sense of orientation around and jumbled up her insides.

Truth being told, Uraraka didn't even know why she was insistent on doing this herself. It wasn't like her at all. She had no problems accepting help and tactically using her Quirk to best suit the situation. But for whatever reason, she wanted to do this one herself.

Out of nowhere, a loud clap, a bang, and suddenly, a violent shockwave of wind ripped the dust clouds apart, sending both the individuals floating in the air shooting in the direction of the wind with extreme speed. Mina had been able to avoid being thrown across the streets, but had to use a combination of using her Quirk to melt herself a grabbing point in the floor, and using her other hand to cling to a lamppost for dear life. Gusts of winds almost like those of a hurricane shot from a single point and expanded the further away the ripples came from that point.

Izuku had activated Full cowl throughout his entire body for this move, and had simply clapped his hands together in front of him. This ended up resulting in the air his hands captured in the movement meeting in one very small, very refined point, and then shot out once a tiny opening was available, at the speed of a bullet, resulting in a huge shockwave that had shot straight towards all three of his classmates. Normally, he achieved this effect by using Delaware Smash by flicking his finger, but he wanted to try this method, to see if he could simulate the same result without breaking his finger whenever he used it.

Mina had to rub her eyes in order to get the debris from them out, before she even look at Izuku properly. Had he been working on that technique as a move, or had he just come up with that on the spot? Whatever it had been, it had certainly been a powerful strike, having sent both their respective teammates flying.

"You tryin' to kill me, Midoriya?!" Kirishama had been flung into the side of a building, and the impact hadn't been gentle in the slightest. He had been able to negate the damage somewhat thanks to his Quirk, but by this point was getting a bit annoyed with being thrown all over the place and constantly winding up dizzy.

"S-Sorry!"

"Urgh… Was that Deku?..." A combination of nausea and disorientation rattled Uraraka's senses, leaving her rocking back and forth slightly as she attempted to steady herself, albeit failingly. Her eyes had basically been reduced to swivels, struggling to find focus on any one target.

Having managed to stagger his way onto his own two feet, Kirishama made a lunge for Uraraka's tag, only to miss when she quickly snapped back into reality and stood upright and away from the red haired attacker, despite being wobbly on her feet thanks to her Quirks drawbacks. Kirishama attempted a few more swings, each of them missing their target.

"Think you can handle Ashido?!" The Hardening Quirk user called over, dashing after the Zero-Gravity Quirk user as she attempted to gain some distance between the two of them.

"No hard feelings, yeah?" Mina repeated, smiling kindly at Izuku. In her left hand, a generous level of non-lethal acid was pooling itself, ready to be unleashed by its holder the second she engaged in combat. There was a fire in her eyes, but no malic whatsoever. This was determination, not anger.

She almost looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Right." Izuku responded. Allowing the power within him to shoot throughout his body again, he activated Full Cowl. Five percent of his Quirks overall potential output wasn't deadly, but he wanted to be safe. He made no fists, instead opting to go for a more open hand style of combat for this particular opponent.

Mina's colour Tag was around her waist. So was Izuku's around his. Both were bright red, and against the colours of their respective Hero Costumes, they were completely impossible to miss. They stood out like Mina stood out in a crowd – Instantly noticeable.

Both of them glanced at their targets. Then at one another.

And then they both charged at each other.

The first one to launch an attack was Mina, throwing the Acid she had collected straight at Izuku. The girl had taken special care to make sure that this acid wouldn't do any serious damage to him, but it would be enough to solicit a response from him it would attack his stimuli, being more akin to that of a nettle sting than an acidic coating. It was just the same sort of limits that she put on herself whenever she fought against any other human opponent.

With a deliberate motion, Izuku ducked as he ran when the acid hurled towards him, and threw a left hook towards the side of the head. He restrained himself as per normal to his limits, so as not to harm anyone excessively, but aside from that, he put in just as much force into his attack as he normally would.

The pressure of the boy's Quirk could be felt from a distance, and Mina used this to her advantage. Her incredible reflexes kicked in, allowing her to dodge before she was even aware that she was evading a swing, the tips of her horns narrowly missing the boys attack.

Next came a right uppercut-cross, but Mina was able to dodge this one as well, this time with a lot more room for error, since she saw this move coming from a mile away. She even managed to do a spin as she skimmed the attack, and while Izuku was still being pulled by his own momentum, Mina made a dive to grab his colour tag. With an outreached palm, she was just an inch away from grabbing hold of it.

Suddenly, Izuku was in the air, having propelled himself up by sending his Quirk's power to his legs and jumping up a couple of feet. Having saved his tag by a fraction of a second, he twisted his body, and as he fell to the ground, slammed his fist into the tarmac beneath him. "5% Detroit Smash!"

It might have only been five percent, but it was more than enough to create a crater of impact where his fist connected with the ground, and send out a shockwave which pushed Mina back before she was able to do anything about it. The girl was pushed back by the sheer force of the attack, blocking her eyes with her arms before digging into the ground with her feet as best she could manage.

It was a mistake to do so.

Since her visibility became limited with this motion, Mina was unable to see the actions Izuku took next. Making a powerful stride and pushing his speed to the absolute height that it would go, he shot straight past the distracted Acid Quirk user, and snatched her colour tag right off of her.

With his swift motion complete, the Clarkson rung.

Izuku and Kirishama had won. Wherever they had ended up, Kirishama must have managed to steal Uraraka's tag, and hold her off while he defended it. The match was, in any case, over.

Mina sighed with a smile.

* * *

"Well, that could've gone worse." Mina cheerfully commented as the lesson, and by extension the school day, came to a close. She rose from her seat with a stretch, and swung her grey jacket and tie into her rucksack, not really feeling like letting them build up constant heat while on the subway back home. Darker clothing, she had discovered, stored up more heat, and she was prone to heating up rather quickly. So, she had removed the schools trademarked jacket and stored it in her decorated backpack.

Due to the large number of books that she'd had to dig out of her back in order to make notes on the many, many subjects she was slipping in, she had taken the longest time of everyone in the class to get ready to go, even the teacher having left before Mina had finished packing away. The only other person in the room was Izuku, who was waiting for her patiently.

"I… Yeah, I guess so…" Izuku agreed, nodding slowly at the comment. There was a part of him that felt guilty about having gone through with the fight, even though he'd known that it was a necessity, and that the positives to the fight vastly outweighed the negatives to it, but by this point, he couldn't help it. Overthinking was leading him to nothing but stress and worry. "A-Are you sure you're okay, Mina-san?"

"Still just Mina." She jokingly smiled towards him. She pulled the zipper on her bag tightly up, sealing the compartments. "And yeah, I'm fine. Stop worrying."

"B-But-"

"Izuku, you didn't even hit me. The worst you did was get some dirt in my eyes."

"A-Are your eyes –"

"My eyes are fine." Mina sighed and threw her backpack over her shoulders, the weight causing them to dip down lightly until her shoulders could bounce back to their natural position. A hand made its way onto her slightly cocked out hip. "You really do worry about some dumb stuff, don't you?"

Blushing, Izuku looked out the window, suddenly finding the patterns on the pathway leading into Yuuei very interesting from even this distance. He was overthinking things. He knew he was, and he was totally aware that was what he was doing, but he still couldn't help himself. Always relapsing back into it whenever he was nervous or worried, Izuku had just come to accept that this was something he did.

Only now he didn't mutter to himself. Well he did, but he didn't do it quite as often as he used to. Now that he was dating Mina, he was fairly audible with his concerns for her. Always, she would assure him that she was okay, but the hyperactive imagination on the student refused to just let him have some peace with that statement.

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand wrap itself around his. Shooting his head back, he saw Mina had closed the gap between them, and was smiling at him with that same warmth she always showed. That same beautiful smile that made his heart flutter. Her fingers interlocked with his, and she stood just that little bit closer to him than she normally did. "Come on, let's go."

"Al-Alright."

The young couple walked, hand in hand, through all the corridors of the school to the entrance of the school. With all the other students having made their way out already, or attending some of the clubs that the campus offered, they only passed by a couple of students, who didn't seem to give them too much thought.

As usual, they engaged in conversation as they walked.

"So… What d'you think? Today good or bad?" Mina questioned her boyfriend, drumming her fingers on his knuckles gently.

It had been a long day, Izuku felt, what with them essentially announcing that they were now dating to the entire class, even though that hadn't been the original plan. That had been a… Particularly embarrassing way for people to find out, and coupled with everything else, and the lack of opportunities that Izuku had had to explain things properly to his friends like Uraraka…

The combined that with the training exercise they had just been through…

"… It's been a… Rough day." Izuku admitted. Emotionally, and physically, he was exhausted right about now.

Nodding, Mina signified that she understood. "I think it's been good though."

"H-Huh?"

"I mean… Now that everyone knows about us, we can do this," She tightened her grip around Izuku's hand with a smile, "Without having to worry about some stupid rumours."

Unable to stop himself, he smiled softly. She had a point…

"There's that smile."

Both of them made their way further forward, eventually getting out of the main building and onto the pathway that led to the main gate of the campus. Still no one was around the area, apparently all of them having made their way out a while ago. It was quiet, peaceful, and serene. There wasn't even any sounds of the wind rattling tree leaves. Just pure silence. To Mina, it was probably one of the most relaxing –

"Are you sure you're alright?..."

He had asked in a much quieter voice this time, but she didn't miss what he had said when he thought that she couldn't hear him. The worry, anxiety, all of it, it still was hidden in the boy's face, showing her that he really was remorseful about a fight he had had no say in, and one in which he hadn't laid a finger on her.

With a sigh, she looked at him. "Honestly, are you still worried about the match? Do you want to give you a kiss to make you feel better?"

"E-Eh?!" Izuku suddenly shot a red scarlet colour far deeper and vibrant than any blood would ever hope to be. His already large eyes shot open even wider than Mina had ever seen, and his body, the hand she held included, suddenly turned rigid and stiff, like he was some sort of insect that froze to protect itself from predators. His hair even seemed to stand on end, like a hedgehog.

Mina shook the comparisons of her boyfriend to various harmless animals from her head and asked again, this time adding a flirtatious edge to her voice, along with a haughty smile.

"Seriously, do you want me to kiss you to prove it's alright? Go on, close your eyes and pucker up. I'll deliver~"

In actuality, she was mostly teasing him, knowing how awkward that he tended to be, she was mostly aiming to fluster him into not worrying about the match, to make him stop overthinking it by making him overthink something that was a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch.

She didn't actually expect him to actually do it. It took him a few seconds to actually get there, but he eventually did as she had told him to. He stood there with his eyes tightly shut as instructed with equally pursed lips. Evidently, he was really having to fight his nerves here to stop himself from making a run for it, or using his Quirk to shoot off into the sky like an embarrassed artillery shell.

Mina would have laughed if her own cheeks weren't turning dark violet, just as embarrassed by Izuku's willingness to allow her to kiss him so readily. It actually made her feel a little bad when she leaned in and instead planted a kiss on his cheek instead.

Still, it gave her a new weapon. With a grin, she tapped his lips gently. "Good to know you're so easily willing to let that happen." She had to stifle a chuckle as she finished speaking.

Izuku was looking at her with a face that was a mix of that of abject horror and embarrassment. His eyes shot wide open when he realized what was happening, thoroughly scarlet in the face. "Wha –"

"You're gonna need to do a little bit more than that to earn that reward, Izuku." Mina told him in a sing-song voice, before dragging him along with her, leading him by the hand. "C'mon. I wanna get a drink!"

All her teasing and joking aside, Mina was just as embarrassed as Izuku, blushing a huge amount as soon she turned away from him. She'd wanted to take that opportunity to kiss him. She had.

It was just her own nerves that were getting in the way of that.

* * *

 **Mina's a flirt. This one ain't up for speculation guys, we all know damn well that Mina would be the biggest damn flirt known to all of Class 1-A regardless of whoever the hell she ended up with.**

 **Uraraka was surprisingly tricky to write. Not outright hostile or accepting either, but more towards neutral-jealous type, especially at this stage in the canon.**

 **As for everything else... Well, I'm happy with it. The next couple of chapters are gonna be slightly different, and away from this little mini-arc we've had going on here. I enjoy writing this way too much ^_^ I hope you guys enjoy reading it ^_^**


	10. Abnormal Traits

_'Micha, mom and dad home?'_

 _'Sis, they're out. You know they're out. If you're gonna bring him over, get on with it already. You're killin' me here, Pinky.'_

Mina made a small growling noise at her phone at the sight of that five letter word that her brother had now basically placed her name with. It was starting to annoy her how frequently he was using it to mess with her. She knew that he was fully aware of what he was doing, and how much she hated him calling her that damn name, but he did it anyway. She hadn't been asking if their parents had been home to have an excuse to get Izuku under a roof without parents around and Micha knew that perfectly well. She'd been hoping to get a lift back home once they were done here. But no, he'd take whatever chance he could get to make her look or feel like an idiot. He really was a massive pain in the neck.

"Um, you okay, Mina?" Hearing Izuku's voice, Mina realized that she'd made that growl out loud, and went a very light shade of lilac. He had given her a look that ranged between being concerned for her, and concerned for himself.

"Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine." Mina quickly assured him, slipping her phone back into her pockets and inspecting the closest DVD available to her. The one she had ended up with was one of those garbage bargain-bin films that sold cheaply so the store could just be rid of the damn things, but she couldn't care less if reading the back of it was going to get her out of the fluster of this little situation.

A few days had passed since their reveal to their classmates, and things had seemed to settle down somewhat afterwards, everything returning to the normal. Certain things had changed though. To give an example, Izuku and Mina had somewhat found their way into one another's friend groups, and almost merged the two in a sense. People they didn't normally associate with too much were now friends due to them spending a fair amount of their time together. Uraraka and Kirishama wouldn't normally interact too much, but since each of them was friends with one of the two, they had wound up talking more frequently than they normally would have. That aside, little to nothing had really changed within Class 1-A.

Today was Friday, the final day that they had of classes throughout the week. Taking advantage of the fact that lessons didn't have to go ahead tomorrow, Mina had dragged Izuku out on a small after school date, if one could really call it that. Really, all they were doing was browsing through a few stores near to where Mina happened to live. Being in their uniforms, they had attracted a fair amount of attention. Many of the locals recognized Mina, of course, since she had lived around here for much of her life, but Izuku's presence seemed to be enough to call attention to the two of them.

Particularly with the fact that Mina made it a point to keep her fingers intertwined with Izuku's, taking the opportunity to etch that heat his hand provided into her memory. She'd felt it before, but being here with him now, just doing these small everyday things with his hand in hers filled her with a sense of peace and warmth. On occasion, she would look at him, often catching him inspecting or reading something completely oblivious to the fact she was watching him, and just smile, and let her cheeks heat up that tiny bit.

If there was one thing that Mina would admit surprised her about Izuku, it was how fond she really was becoming of him. While some might find that sentiment underwhelming, and many would consider it to be a given thing, since they were dating, Mina had felt this fondness deepen over time. Just being around him now had an effect on her, while it hadn't been like that before. Her crush on him had evolved into something far more meaningful.

The pink girl had to let out a small sigh in amusement at how her brain was trying to avoid using the word.

She'd really fallen in love with Izuku. It wasn't just liking him anymore, it wasn't just a crush anymore. She properly fallen in love with him.

Thinking about that brought her back to earlier in the week, when she'd chickened out on kissing him. She'd joked about his paranoia and worry and how she'd give him a 'make-the-boo-boo-better' kiss, only in this case boo-boo being his own damned anxiety, and then realized that actually, he was completely prepared to go through with it. And she had been the one to back out of it, making a few more jokes at his expense. The truth of the matter there was, she was fully aware that she was the one who had chickened out. When she realized that she'd been out-couraged by the single most timid boy she knew in her entire life... That had to say something about her, didn't it?

Granted, the more time they spent together, and the closer they got, the better he became at overcoming his shyness, at least around her... But still.

Mina blushed lightly, stealing another glance at Izuku, who looked at a random jacket on the hangers he'd found, dark pine green in its colour. She couldn't tell if he was seriously bored, or if he was actually incredibly interested in textiles. Actually, scratch that, he was probably just bored out of his mind. Still, Mina felt her heart beat more just by looking at him. Izuku wasn't a bad looking guy by any means, but he wasn't anything eye-candy either. He had a ridiculous set of muscles, but that wasn't really noticeable about 99% of the time. The only other 1% of the time would be those times where she 'accidentally' take note whenever a slight bit of flesh was revealed when his clothes rolled up.

Still, it wasn't those looks that was making Mina blush right now. Judging someone by their looks was something Mina didn't exactly have much right to do, given the fact that she looked like some sort of literal alien. It would be inherently hypocritical. Pink skin, horns, darkened eyes? Her judging someone by their looks would just be unfair. Sure she could identify a good looking guy from three hundred meters off, but that was pretty much the extent of it.

So what was it about seeing Izuku's face right now that was making her blush?

Maybe it was because he seemed to be the exact same way about things, and that just opened a whole new session of fluttering hearts for Mina. Again, pink skin, horns, and black eyes, and Izuku didn't even seem to register it. The world of Quirks being what it was, it sure as hell wasn't uncommon by any means. Everyone in their class had something that made them look inhuman. Hell, even Izuku had his natural black highlights along with his green hair that made him look like a 2D cell-shading artist got bored and scribbled the hair out on a drawing, but even so, it was comparatively… Not even close to Mina's appearance.

And Izuku didn't even seem to care. Probably because it wasn't uncommon anymore. Full body changes to a person because of a Quirk and the bloodline they came from, and the passing down of Quirks via genetics was common now, so society had shifted its focus on image and looks to a more neutral one since before Quirks showed up.

Or maybe she was just overthinking it… but Mina liked to think that Izuku was with her now because he liked her – As in here her, not her appearance. It was one of the very, very, very few insecurities Mina had. Sometimes she would worry about how she appeared. Other times, she just wouldn't care. But she liked that Izuku didn't seem to be prioritizing her looks whatsoever. It was… Comforting, to say the least.

Her hand subconsciously pulled closer towards him, until her arm was leaning onto his bicep, whereupon she wrapped her other arm around it, hugging onto it tightly without any warning. His arm pressed against her chest, which she knew would explicit some reaction from him, but she didn't particularly care are this point. Finally, her head rested upon his shoulder, making sure not to hit him with her horns. He was warm… Really warm.

"Wh - Mina?" Izuku questioned with a scarlet face. He quickly shot his head from side to side, looking to see if anyone was able to see them. A few people were, and a couple even had to hide their amusement from the clearly embarrassed teenage boy.

His girlfriend chuckled at his reaction. She'd done this quite a few times to him, and he never seemed able to relax when it happened. It provided nothing less than humour for Mina, happy she was able to get this sort of response from him. She closed her eyes and rested into him more, letting his warmth wash over her. Were they not stood up in some random store, she would have happily fallen asleep then and there. "Just… Shush, okay? Lemme stay like this? Yeah?"

She didn't get a verbal response, but Izuku didn't push her away, or make any attempts to free himself from the grasp she had one him. She could feel him heating up as his own blush must have set in, which only furthered her enjoyment of the closeness they had. She remained latched to him like this for quite a while afterwards, even when they had left the store, gone into another one, and left that one too. She remained attached to him, and she didn't give a damn who saw her like this.

Mina wasn't something that you saw every day atypically. As established, her Quirk gave her a very unique, unmistakable appearance. Pretty much anyone who saw her recognised her if they saw her again, which came in handy at her regular places of business like cafes and the sort, who immediately knew her regular orders. Izuku on the other hand was so painfully plain he was barely even recognizable. The fact that the two of them were so obviously close must have been a surprise to a few people. A few people who knew Mina went as far as to ask who Izuku was, and displayed a wide variety of surprised reactions when she explained who he was. The vast majority had simply marked him down as a close classmate from Yuuei, not her boyfriend. By about the third time this happened, Izuku had gotten used to it.

It was hard for Mina not to laugh at the shock people seemed to have that she was dating such a plain boy the first few times, but after a while, she saw that Izuku was becoming a little bit depressed about the whole affair. Having a bunch of random people walk up and tell you that you didn't look too impressive would have to get upsetting, even if you didn't know these people and had dealt with that sort of sentiment all your life.

"Hey, Izuku?" Mina suddenly piped up suddenly, rising her head off of his shoulders so he could properly turn his head around. She'd been resting on his shoulder for the better half of maybe twenty minutes, and felt the need to adjust her neck before it got too stiff like that. A small click could be heard the second she brought her neck back up to its normal state as her body realigned itself.

"Oh?" Izuku sounded slightly surprised, like he'd completely forgotten that Mina was even there. Feeling the weight lifted from the joint that connected his arm to his torso, he began to move it in a circular motion to allow blood flow to return to it. "Yes, Mina?"

"I'm kinda bored. You wanna come to my house and hang out there?"

A small pause followed between the two, before Izuku responded with a blush. It took Mina about two seconds to figure out a way to send him into flustered hysterics.

"No, that's not what I'm implying." Mina grinned as she tapped his forehead with her index and middle finger.

Izuku's eyes suddenly shot wide open, and for a brief moment, Mina was convinced that they were about to burst right out of their sockets. His suddenly flailing arms and attempts to cover up his red cheeks were met with just more humour for Mina, especially since he failed so badly at it in his panic. "That wasn't what I was - "

"Sure." Mina's lips grew wider in amusement. To relax him, she lightly punched his shoulder. "Relax, I'm just messing with you." Seeing her quite frankly adorable boyfriend calming down, Mina just had to let out an audible giggle before she continued explaining. "Well, there isn't much to do out here, is there? You're so bored you were looking at textiles for God's sake. There's at least some stuff to do at my place. Besides -"

She hopped up off of the bench with her usual energy present, before spinning on her heels to look back at her still red in the face Izuku, she presented a large, warm smile filed with her affection towards him. It wasn't the type of affection that Mina was going to be good at keeping to herself. She wasn't the best at keeping things to herself at the best of times. The excitable girl wanted to show Izuku off to other people in a certain sense, to show off that this was the person that she was with, that this was the person that she loved.

And on the flip side of that coin, she really just wanted to shut Micha up for once.

" - I think my brother wants to meet you."

* * *

Izuku was completely stunned with the sheer size of the house Mina lived in, even just from looking at it from the outside. He and his mother lived in an apartment floor, so he was used to residing in small, rather cramped spaces for long periods of time. He was used to it. Because it was just him and his mother, the place never felt that overcrowded. It was pretty easy to find his own space in the collection of his room, his mother's room, and the living space-kitchen-dining room they had combined into one smaller multi-task room.

Mina on the other hand lived in an actual house, not just a floor in an apartment block that she had to share with about fifty other families and residences. She lived in an actual detached house in a cul-de-sac filled with them, and her house was pretty damn large, even compared to the other buildings on the block.

"Holy..." Izuku just stammered. He'd imagined Mina wasn't exactly poor-off, but he hadn't been expecting what he would consider a freaking mansion. In reality, it was just slightly bigger than the average Japanese home, but average size was enormous compared to Izuku's house. "It's - You live here?!"

"Yeah. I have like, two brothers and a little sister, plus my mom and dad... We kinda had to get a large place." Mina told him, rubbing the back of her neck as through she was slightly embarrassed, like she was justifying why she lived in such a place. "We moved here like, maybe seven years back, when Mara was on the way."

Before Izuku was able to ask any questions about who Mara was, or anything about Mina's family, he was dragged across the pavement to the front door, and practically pulled inside, stopping just short of the elevated wooden floor that covered the foyer. Mina had just kicked off her shoes and let them land wherever the hell they landed, with next to no regard for how untidy it was.

Izuku quickly had to blink, and regain his balance to stop himself from crashing down on the elevated entrance to the rest of the house. Once he had, he quickly took off his boots and placed them as neatly as possible on the mat provided. He didn't take his socks off at all, attempting to be as formal and as polite as he possibly could, to obey the rules of etiquette that ruled Japan just as much as Quirks did.

"Yo, Micha, you still home?!" Mina called up the stairs, with as much cheer as she could manage. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Izuku still timidly stood in the entrance, not having actually taken the step onto the elevated wooden floor to the house. Excluding his boots, he hadn't dropped off anything else like Mina had, like her bags or her jacket. Instead, he was holding onto them as rigidly as he could possibly manage. She smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry. You're more than welcome here, Izuku."

"A-Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to, y'know, be in the way or anything."

"Wouldn't've brought you here if you were. Chill out and c'mon!" Reaching out, Mina grabbed hold of his hands and pulled him up onto the same level as her.

In doing so, the motion actually caused Izuku to trip up, and nearly collide right into Mina. With her high reflexes, she was able to quickly catch him and push him upright before he ended up falling flat on his face. However, this ended up causing Izuku to be stood face-to-face with his pink-skinned girlfriend, their faces only a few inches away from one another. The only thing stopping them from falling into one another was the fact that their foreheads had blocked the way. Thankfully, the impact hadn't hurt either one of them, and it had wound up being more like a gentle tap.

The only thing that would hurt were their cheeks from the heat they would generate a few seconds later.

It took them both a few seconds to realize what had happened, and they only came to that conclusion once they were both looking into one another's eyes. Black and yellow met white and dark green, and both parties suddenly went a dark shade of colour, Izuku red, and Mina lilac, in their faces. They'd shared close moments before, quite comfortably, but they hadn't ever really been this close, and in this position before.

Mina was suddenly very consciously aware of how close their lips were to each other's, which didn't do anything to relax her increasing blush. It reminded her too much about a few days ago, when they had first come close to kissing, and just thinking about that level of intimacy was sending her heart into overdrive. She was fine with admitting to herself that she loved Izuku, sure... But doing something so close, so personal... It never failed to make her heart race. Judging by how he was shaking, Izuku was experiencing something similar.

Except he wasn't moving. He wasn't flinching, and he wasn't making an effort to move away from her. Not only that, but he wasn't making any effort to look away from her. If anything, he was paying even closer attention to her, like he was tracing every single little detail of her face and etching it into his memory. Her thicker eyelashes, the way her eyes were able to reflect light despite being the colour that absorbs it, and every single line and imperfection that she had up this close.

Before she knew what she was doing, Mina was doing the exact same thing, making mental notes of his freckles, and how far they were spaced apart from every other dot on his face, how his cheeks turned rosy when confronted with this level of closeness, and his lips, slightly apart... Like he wanted to...

Like she wanted to.

"Yeah, I'm here."

Both boyfriend and girlfriend froze, and separated as quickly as they physically could, and snapped to attention, making their bodies as rigid and as still as rock, trying their absolute hardest to wipe the blush from their faces. Silently, Mina cursed Micha for only now opening his damn mouth. Knowing him, he must have been finishing a level on some game or reaching a save point or finishing a match or whatever the hell it was that he did on his damn games before he even bothered to answer.

"O-Oh!"

A series of footsteps came from the landing near the steps on the upper level of the building, indicating that Micha was headed down to greet his younger sibling. Mina hadn't informed him about Izuku coming back home with her, so he didn't know he was here. "You bring someone with you or somethin'? I swear I heard you talking to someone. Unless you've finally lost it."

Once her older sibling came into view, he was finally able to see Izuku. Upon seeing the Yuuei student, Micha stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Izuku like he'd just discovered a living, breathing Neanderthal. At the same time, Izuku was able to get a good look at Micha. Micha was a skinny individual, more bone that he was skin, especially compared to his younger sister, but not to an unhealthy degree. Along with this fact, he had long blonde hair, that covered to tops of his eyes, which he didn't seem to bother brushing, or even washing half the time. His skin was roughly the same shade as Izuku's, perhaps a tone darker.

He couldn't look less like Mina.

"Micha, this is Midoriya Izuku." Mina introduced quickly before Micha wound up thinking that she'd just been followed inside by some robber or some lunatic from the streets. "He's my uh, boyfriend." She added, a bit quieter this time, due to her own embarrassment in admitting this to her elder sibling. It went without saying what he was to her. She'd told Micha about him many times. "M-Midori, this is Micha, my older brother."

"N-Nice to meet you." Izuku managed to stutter out, half expecting Micha to dart down and sucker punch him in the jaw for daring to go anywhere near his little sister.

Instead, Micha quickly made his way down the stairs and made eye contact with Izuku, being roughly the same height as him. Compared to Izuku, he didn't look too strong - In fact, compared to Mina, he didn't look too strong - but he was still capable of emitting a type of intimidation that Izuku hadn't felt before. "So, you're the 'Midori' I've been hearing so much about, eh?... Gotta be honest, you look sorta... Boring."

Izuku couldn't help but sigh with a small chuckle. Of amusement that like everyone else, he made that observation, of sheer relief that he didn't seem to hate him at first glance, he couldn't tell.

"Micha!"

"What? I was expecting someone with bulging muscles or to leave solid gold in his wake the way you talk about him." Micha grinned, knowing fully well that his choice of words was going to cause his sister nothing but embarrassment. He held out his hand for Izuku to shake, with a welcoming smile. "Good to meet you, Midoriya. Mina talks to me about you. A lot. Seriously, you're all she freakin' speaks about."

Izuku blushed, but accepted the handshake all the same.

"N-not true!" Mina quickly denied, making an X shape with her arms, clearly flustered in a way Izuku had never seen her even come close to. There was a bright lilac blush spread across every single exposed cell of her face.

Her plan to shut Micha up had ended up backfiring immensely. In retrospect, she wasn't sure what she should have expected. He was witty in the worst possible way.

"Heh. Sure thing, Pinky." Her brother smirked. "You're in luck. Mom and dad are still out, although I'm watching Mika and Mara. They said they'd be back in like, half an hour, though that was about fifteen minutes ago. So unless you want them to think we're getting robbed or you're doing... Whatever it is you two have planned," his smirk only grew when he saw both their reactions. "Then you might wanna let me send them both a text so they know what to expect, before they see you both making out on the couch."

"Nice of you to retell your experiences with Kiro for us, Micha." Mina responded, still colour in her face, only now she seemed more relaxed, and happy to exchange jabs with her brother. She still remembered how utterly embarrassed her brother was when she came back with her parents after a shopping trip, and he and his girlfriend were far too busy shoving their tongues down one another's throats to notice them for a good few seconds before her father started questioning what was going on. "But I'm thinking that we won't take the same route you two did."

"Ah, behind closed and locked doors then? Smart move, sis."

"We haven't actually kissed yet, if you must know."

"Damn, you move quickly then."

Izuku couldn't help but watch the back and forth banter between the two of them for a few exchanges, before he wound up torn between the options of bursting into hysterics due to the sheer absurdity of it all, or quietly slipping out of the house and calling someone to calm the two of them down. He never had a sibling, younger or older, so he didn't know what this meant, if this was the normal way two similarly aged teenagers who shared blood were supposed to interact, or if they were actually fighting for some reason.

"Hey, Micha, what's taking so -"

From the next room suddenly, popped a smaller young boy, obviously not too old, roughly about six years of age. He looked a lot like Micha, only smaller, and a bit fatter, which actually made him look like he was in good shape for a six year old. The kid had visible yellow eyes, that were a standout from the white sclera, despite being similar colours on the spectrum.

As soon as he laid eyes on Mina and Izuku, he stopped his sentence and looked at the unknown teenage boy like he'd just found a spy in the house. "Who the hell is this?"

"Mara, I keep telling you, stop cursing, at least in front of other people!" Micha said with a raised voice, and lightly hitting his brother on the skull with the side of his hand. "And stop Phasing through stuff!"

"Notice how he didn't tell him to stop cursing altogether. Brother of the year right there." Mina joked to Izuku. "Don't worry about us. This is just how we operate around here. Mara's... Pretty bold, I'll put it like that." Before she allowed Izuku to question what that meant, she knelt down to be level with her youngest brother, and smiled at him. "This is Midoriya, he's my boyfriend."

The final word in that sentence caught Mara's attention, and as opposed to just walking around Micha like anyone else would have done, he instead walked right through his oldest sibling like he wasn't even there at all, to stand just in front of his sister, and get a better look at her boyfriend.

The action alarmed Izuku, until he realised that it must have been Mara's Quirk that let him do that. By the time he had that figured out, the young child was staring at him with a crunched up face.

"...You look plain."

"I've been getting that a lot today." Izuku sighed. "That was a cool Quirk just now."

"He's still getting used to it." Mina said, tapping her youngest brother's forehead in a manner similar to that she did to Izuku. "Still needs to learn not to use his Quirk in public."

"Come on, Mara." Micha told his brother, grabbing him by his collar and dragging him back upstairs. "Let's leave these two to it. Oh, Mina, Mika's in her room, if you wanna let her know who this dude is before she gets freaked out." Ending his sentence, he turned around and gave her a wink.

The chaos over, Izuku had to take a moment to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes. He,d met two of Mina's threw siblings, one of which was one of the most jovial, joking, and banterous people he'd ever met in his life, who's every word seemed to be carefully decided in order to maximise how much he could embarrass Mina. In turn, she would bring up subjects he seemed to prefer to forget about. Then there was the bold younger brother who already used curses, and could apparently phase straight through people and objects like they weren't even there. His head was spinning, and the speed at which this happened wasn't helping in the slightest.

"Sorry, about that." Mina finally broke the silence with an awkward laugh. "My family is kinda... Intense, let's say. They're not bad, but you kinda need to have thick skin around them."

"Apparently I'm universally plain." Izuku said with a disheartened sigh. "I mean I'm used to it, but it does sorta begin to wear me down after so many comments about it."

"Well, I think you're cute." Mina told him with a pretty smile. "That count?"

Yet another blush managed to make its way onto Izuku's face, and he shot his gaze to the floor to hide it. He'd given her the reaction that she'd wanted, although he still couldn't bring himself to look back at her, even with this knowledge in his head. There was a small smile on his face, and a beating in his heart, but his shyness and embarrassment prevented him from sharing these with Mina.

"Come on, Izuku." His girlfriend grabbed hold of his hand and led him upstairs, a spring in her step with every one that she rose on. "Mika's next on the list of people you need to meet. You'll like her."

A few seconds later, he found himself awaiting a response from a brightly decorated door that made it abundantly clear that the person on the other side of this door was, one, definitely and without question Mina's sibling, and two, adored Heroes to death. Pictures of all a great number of them were overlapping and some hanging off. Heroes like All Might, Mt. Lady, and Kamui Woods were just a few of the extremely popular ones. Lesser known Heroes like Hardline, Tsunami and Buzzsaw, and even newspaper clippings of some Vigilantes like Gentle-man, Knuckleduster and Monochrome were there. This person had a love of Heroes and all things that related to the world of Heroics that rivalled Izuku's.

"Go ahead, come in." Came a female voice from the other side of the door, muffled slightly by the wood and draft excluders on the opposing side.

With permission given to them, Mina opened the heavily decorated door and allowed it to swing open, revealing an equally heavily decorated room with posters and figures, and all sorts of memorabilia related to the Hero industry. The paint on the walls, if there was any to begin with, was totally covered, not leaving even a single hint about what colour the room originally was. Excluding these, the room had a beige coloured carpet on the floor, and the room was fairly neatly kept, wall-posters none-withstanding, the only exceptions being some toys and pastimes scattered around, like mobile devices and drawings, thing that could easily be swept up within seconds and thrown into whatever corner that they were originally from.

The girl who inhabited this room was sat on her bed and was messing around with a few bricks of Lego, attempting to stick them together into some sort of shape to add to a village set that was by her feet. Like her brother, she was a darker tone than Izuku, but it was still a regular tone. As well as this, she had the same pink hair Mina had, and the yellow eyes too.

Izuku blinked. Not a single one of her siblings looked a thing like Mina.

No obvious alterations. No huge changes to the body. No inhuman skin tones. Pink hair and yellow eyes, they all shared, but neither of those were uncommon in this world filled with Quirks and superpowers, so they weren't of much note. None of them had the horns that Mina had sticking out of her skull at all times. None of them had the colourful skin shade that Mina's Acid Quirk caused. None of them had the black sclera that somehow reflected light.

Compared to Mina, all her siblings were completely normal.

Without awaiting her sister's acknowledgement, Mina practically skipped her way into the room.

And instantly regretted it.

Sharp pains lodged in the weak, vulnerable part of her foot sent a huge reaction up Mina's legs. She quickly hopped back and onto one foot, grabbing the injured foot with her hands to try and soot the pain. "Ow - Damn it Mika! I keep telling you to not leave your freaking Lego on the floor!"

"Oh, sorry!" Mika apologised with a smile that was way too bright for someone who was sincerely apologising. She seemed to be mocking Mina with this grin, like she had hoped someone would step on what looked like, on closer inspection, a line of small, jagged Lego pieces in front of her door.

"That's it, I'm dissolving these!" Mina responded, reaching down to grab as many of the hated blocks as she could before Mika had a chance to stop her. She was already prepared to create the most effective Hydrochloric Acid that she could secrete to dissolve these horrendous inventions straight out of existence.

As she reached the first block, it suddenly jumped away from her, as did every block around her, and all hovered in the air, before returning to Mika's hand, and then settling all around her.

"Of course." Mina sighed. Mika would user her Quirk to prevent that, and she knew Mina wouldn't go anywhere near her when she was using her Acid Quirk. Her sister may annoy her, but she wasn't prepared to be responsible for making a scar down her face that made her look like Todoroki. She held her head in her hand before she introduced Izuku to her. "Mika, Midoriya. Izuku, Mika. Mika, Izuku here's my boyfriend."

Mika looked at Izuku for a brief second, before her yellow eyes began to sparkle. Instantly she recognised the green haired boy as someone she had made a special note of when she had first seen him on TV. "Woah woah woah, hold up, from the Yuuei Sports Day Festival? The guy who had that super-strength Quirk?" She then looked at Izuku right in the eye, and hovered some of the small blocks around her head, like a halo. "You were the guy who had that fight with the fire-ice guy!"

"H-Huh?" Izuku stammered. He had gotten used to being showered with praise about his match a few days after his match had ended, but he was surprised that someone still remembered exactly who he was so long after the match had ended. "Fire-ice guy... She means Todoroki, doesn't she?"

"She means Todoroki." Mina smiled. "She keeps re-watching it a lot on the internet. She's pretty fond of it."

"You didn't tell me you were dating the green haired dude from that fight!" Mika exclaimed in surprise. Next, she looked at him intensely, like she was examining him. He should have been used to it by now, since about seventeen people had done the exact same thing to him in the last few hours, but Izuku still felt fairly uneasy about being inspected like this. After she had looked at him until she was content, she turned to look at Mina. "He's actually kinda cute in person."

In response, the pink skinned girl jabbed her boyfriend with her elbow and grinned. "Told you so."

* * *

Mina's bedroom was something that merely being inside was sending Izuku into a reclusive state by the mere fact he was standing in his girlfriend's freaking bedroom! Just that knowledge was enough to send his knees into quakes and quivers, a blush across his face, and the stammer back into his voice with such a fury it was like the ocean taking revenge on man in the form of a tsunami - Put simply, he was freaking the hell out.

On top of that, just looking at the room was almost like a sensory overload all on its own. Colourful, so bright, Izuku thought if he stared at this room too hard, he was going to go blind. Mina had a lot of posters, not anywhere close to the number Mika had, and they were less focused on Heroes, though a few posters of her favourites were on there, including one of All Might that looked rather old, but they were more orientated around some of the shows or celebrities that she liked.

"Sorry its kind of a mess..." Mina laughed a bit unsurely, bringing her hands together in front of her waist. "I didn't really plan on us winding up here, so I - Uh... Izuku, are you gonna actually come in in room or what?"

True to his awkwardness and his timid nature, Izuku was hesitant on entering the room further than the initial doorframe, clearly shaking out of nervousness and embarrassment. Just the reminder that he had a girlfriend was something that was certain to send him into flustered red shades and fits of pure self-induced humiliation. The idea of doing anything as intimate as kissing her was, while something that he did want to do, left him dark scarlet in his face completely. To be somewhere as personal as her bedroom... Was this even okay?

He'd already been dragged into her house, which he still had some reservations about, and he felt that like he was already being far too honoured as it was. But this... Was it even okay to go into the place that his girlfriend called her home? This was where she retreated whenever she was tired or wanted to be alone. This was where she relaxed, and where she slept. This was where she was the most vulnerable that she ever was.

"Oh for God's sake, Izuku." Mina couldn't help but shake her head and giggle in amusement of what was happening. It didn't take her long to figure out what it was that was leaving him nervous, unwilling to enter the room any more than he already was, residing on the very edge of the room, enough to say he was in the room, but not enough to really be in the room as it were. Like he was stood on the edge of a conversation as opposed to actually being a part of one. "Stop being silly. You know you're fine to be in here."

"I-Is this seriously alright though? I-I mean -"

"It's fine. Seriously. I'm not hiding something in here, and even if I was... I trust you, y'know. Like, I don't, y'know... Wanna hide anything." Her words were repeating, saying things that she'd already said beforehand. She was trying to say something aside from that, something that her own throat was catching before she could say it, but the sentiment was still there. She was being genuine. She trusted Izuku this much. She really did trust him this much.

Heart-warming as her sentiment was, Izuku couldn't find it in himself to put this off any further. Swallowing his nervousness as much as he could manage, he took a few steps further into his girlfriend's bedroom, until he was stood right next to her and her beautiful smile. He was still obviously nervous as all holy hell, but he was managing to return a slightly shakier smile of his own.

Her room was cute, there certainly wasn't any denying that. It had a warm feeling to it, a certain charm that really helped emphasise that energetic yet sweet personality that Mina had. Everything in the room was personalised and seemed accessorised to fit her perfectly. The bookcase that she had that was lined with books that she liked, on which Izuku was able to spy the ones she had bought on their first date, was covered in stickers, post-its, and drawings that the teenage boy assumed had to have come from a three year old Mina. Her bedsheets were a clean white colour, but smaller blankets, pillows and such were a huge plethora of colours and patterns that Izuku could hardly even see the covers underneath them. On the floor, there were some miscellaneous items, like a remote for her television, some of her school books, and slippers, which Mina quickly slipped her feet into.

It was all so very... Ashido Mina.

"It... Really suits you." Was all Izuku could say to compliment the room. He didn't really know what else to say that would count as a compliment.

Mina couldn't help but chuckle at the compliment, before she rested her head on his shoulder and snuggled into the nape of his neck.

"Mina!"

A deeper voice, a voice far deeper than any other individuals that Izuku had heard all day suddenly bellowed throughout the house, sending both him and Mina frozen rigid, until his girlfriend relaxed.

"Yikes. Didn't think dad'd be home so soon. Thought Micha said they'd be another ten."

* * *

The Ashido family, Izuku learned, was one that bore nearly no resemblance to Mina whatsoever. None of them had any oddities that Mina had. None at all. Mina was alone in her appearance in the Ashido household, which made her stand out like a fire in a forest.

Both her parents had brown eyes, which none of their children had in common, all of them sharing yellow irises, and very lightly varying shades of light Caucasian. Mina's mother had her pink hair, while her father had the blond hair her brothers had. But that was the end of the similarities. That aside, they all looked as regular humans as humans could be. They looked more like Izuku than they did their own daughter.

They did share a similarity in Quirks though, at least on her mother's side. Mina's mother had a Quirk that allowed her to melt metallic objects by touching them with her bare skin, and the desire to activate the power, whereas her father possessed the ability to grow two large, bulky horns from his forehead, akin to those of a bull. Looking at her, it was easy to see how Mina had gotten her powerful Quirk. And where her bizarre appearance came from. At least where the horns came from, anyway.

And Izuku had learned all of this while sat at a dinner table, a bowl of rice and something else that he had no clue as to what it was shoved into his hands. He hadn't even been in his girlfriend's sight for more than ten seconds before they had invited him to join them for dinner. Apparently Mina got her habit of dragging people along from her mother, since she all but picked up the One For All inheritor and placed him at the dinner table, and basically threw Mina into the seat next to him. For her part, Mina acted like this was normal, and gave Izuku a comforting smile and nod of reassurance.

Izuku also learned about the Quirks of her siblings, and made mental notes to record the information that he had learned. The first one he had learned about was the one that Micha had, Meltdown. It was the one that was as close to Mina's Quirk as the entire family had, if slightly less useful, since he had to touch an object in order for his power to activate.

Mara had a power that was called Phasing. It allowed him to completely pass through people, and anything solid, like it wasn't even there. With proper training and refinement, it would probably be an incredibly strong superpower.

Mika was the last one. It turned out she had demonstrated her Quirk in a very apt way when he had met her. Mika was able to completely control plastic objects at will, bringing them closer to her, further away from her, or altering them into different shapes.

For the part of the individuals, they were a very... Eccentric family. They were nice and polite, of course, but alongside it, they seemed to have some of the most blunt and headstrong personalities of people that he'd ever known in his entire life.

"Hmm? Midoriya, you're not eating. Is it not good?" Mina's mother asked. She showed a concern for him that he couldn't quite place. It was between parental concern that he wasn't eating, or worry that her food was terrible.

He had stopped eating because he was processing exactly what he had been told, and was still in a mild state of shock that he'd been forced into this seat and given food he'd had nearly no interest in eating all in about five seconds. Still, he didn't want to be rude in any way. Quickly, be shook his head to deny this. "N-No, I-it's really nice, t-thank you!" To emphasise the point, he took another mouthful of rice and the sauce provided.

It wasn't good. At all. In fact, it took all of his mental willpower not to throw it back up. He wasn't sure just how someone could manage to make rice taste this poorly, but he didn't want to offend her, so he just grinned and bore it.

"Midoriya, don't lie." Micha commented, pushing his own bowl away in disgust. "This tastes like garbage mixed with Acid."

"No comment." Mina flatly stated.

"You're free to make your own, Micha." Their mother responded with a challenging smile on her face. "If you want to put your money where your mouth is, by all means, get yourself over to the stove."

"Put my money where my mouth is? I'll bet money tastes far better than this. Anyone got some yen too much on?"

"Stop complaining and eat." Their father spoke up next, not caring to mention the fact that he hadn't as much as picked up his fork yet. He loved his wife very much, but he couldn't stand her cooking whatsoever.

"We're seriously gonna poison Mina's boyfriend?" Mara was the one who spoke up next, jabbing at his food with his fork repeatedly. For a six year old, he had a very sarcastic way of talking, which was coupled with his bold personality to make someone Micha would be very proud of when he started throwing his insults and sarcastic remarks around.

True to this notion, the eldest Ashido child laughed at his young sibling's question. "Hah! Even Mara's calling out this stuff! Sorry, Midoriya, you had a nice run, and I bet you're a swell guy, but this stuff is like weed killer if you don't have an immunity to it."

"Money. Mouth. Stove. Food. Micha." Their mother responded curtly and sharply, but there wasn't an edge to any of the words she said, nothing that seriously indicated that there was some sort of malice between the two of them.

After that, they divulged into a series of insults and arguments that to an outsider, in this case Izuku, would seem like genuinely repressed hatred rising to the surface. The Ashido household was filled with the kind of people who would readily mock one another for kicks one moment, and fight to the death for each other the next.

Right now though, they'd engaged into one of those fights where the aim seemed to be to drag one another through the dirt and tear them apart verbally. Since Izuku and his mother shared a very close, very positive relationship, he actually felt genuine concern for the two of them, unaware that this was how they operated.

"Sh-should I go or something?" He whispered to Mina with worry in his voice that he was intruding on a private family matter.

"Nah, don't worry. They're always like this." Mina told him with a kind smile. In doing so, she pushed her own bowl away. Evidently, she lacked an appetite of any description.

Ignoring the mock-fight between his wife and his eldest, Mina's father directed his attention towards Izuku, his Quirk activated, and two thick horns extruding from his forehead. According to him, his Quirk was called Twin Bull. If that was in reference to the idea of the anger of a bull, or a hint at what else his Quirk had in store, Izuku didn't know, but the fact it was activated wasn't exactly filling him with any confidence.

"Midoriya, right?" He asked. Despite the frankly intimidating appearance he had, even without his Quirk, his deep voice, and Izuku's own personal crippling fear of this guy, he was surprisingly friendly and straight forward. Refreshingly so, compared to Mina's siblings. "You take classes with Mina, yes?"

"Y-Yes sir!" Izuku responded instantly and clearly, almost like a solider addressing a superior officer. Mina had to shake her head in either exasperation or denial that this was happening. If it hadn't been abundantly clear from his hesitant movements, his stammer, or his general quietness that he was nervous as all hell, it was now. Painfully so.

To his credit, her father didn't seem to mind. "So you're also aiming to be a Pro-Hero too?"

"Y-Yeah... I've always wanted to be a Hero..."

"Mina's been dead-set on it for a long time now. Beating villains down and saving people with a flash, like from the cartoons, right kid?"

"Xeno-Mistress is gonna blast all of you into oblivion." Quoted Mina with a knowing smile flashed her father's way. Izuku remembered the name Xeno-Mistress from one of the old space Hero cartoons on when he was a kid. Before he learned of his Quirkless nature, he'd watched a lot of them. Thinking about it, it was probably partly responsible for Mina's initial Hero name.

Her father shook his own head this time in amusement, and then turned back to Izuku. "So, how did this little relationship get started then? Mina didn't talk about you until a few weeks ago, and now we can't get her to shut up about you."

"Told you I wasn't lying!" Micha commented with a victorious lopsided smirk, before returning back to his mothers and his fake argument about the quality of the green, bordering blue sauce she had served with the rice.

"God damn it." Izuku's girlfriend lowered her head to slam into the table, which was applauded with laughter from the Ashido family, and even a few claps from the younger siblings.

To attempt to spare her some embarrassment, Izuku retold exactly how he and Mina wound up dating, leaving out whatever details he could so as not to leave her vulnerable to her family's teasing as much as possible, as well as the details with Overgrow and other such legal issues that would cause eyebrows to raise. He told them about how Mina approached him after his fight with Todoroki, and how they had gone on their first real date a short while ago. The boy was intentionally vague, so Mina could interject at any time that she desired. She chose not to.

"I came close to removing Mina from classes after the villain's incident a while back." Her father said with his hands brought together on the table, right hand atop left. Upon hearing this sentence, Mina felt the mood somber up, and glanced at Izuku. No doubt his own family had attempted something similar. "There was a very large part of me that didn't want her attending Yuuei after that mess. A lot of parents must have felt the same way, I'm sure. Mina was the one who convinced me to let her stay. Said All Might fought like hell to keep all of you safe. That true?"

"Yeah..." Izuku remembered the fight between his idol, his mentor, the man who gave him a Quirk of his own, and the Nomu, the artificially created monster that housed multiple Quirks, and was mutated into something horrendously abnormal. How close All Might had come to death... How close they all had been. How useless he had felt in that moment...

"I'm glad." Mina's father said, relief evident in his voice. Evidently, he had suspected that his daughter may have been stretching the truth in some way, which came as a surprise to Izuku. Many people heard All Might had done something Heroic and taken it as face value. Not a lot of people looked any further into it. Still, when someone's daughter is involved in the mix, Izuku supposed he could understand wanting a second opinion from someone who was there at the same time.

"You know I wouldn't lie about that sort of thing, right dad?" The pink girl asked. "This is All Might we're talking about."

"I know. But it still worries me." Her father then grinned at the nervous boy. "And now you're here, because I let her keep attending Yuuei."

For a moment, Izuku was certain that this was going to be the part where Mina's father rammed his horns into his abdomen and made him swear to some sort of satanic ritual to never hurt a hair on his daughters head in his own blood, lest he spontaneously combust. It never came though.

"I'm not sure if Mina's happier about this, or if I am."

It sounded like a sentence of acceptance, of permission almost... But there was a hidden meaning behind it, there had to be. There was something about the way this man said it that made Izuku take a second to pause and think again.

"S'cuse me, Mina's boyfriend-san!" From the end of the table came Mika's voice. She had been very quiet throughout the meal, waiting for the chance to speak. Like everyone else, she had barely even touched her food, and seemed to be avoiding it like so much as catching its scent was going to send her into cardiac arrest.

"Use your words, Mika." Mina told her, like a big sister was supposed to. "Use his name."

"Midoriya-san?" The youngest member of the household proved to be the most polite member of the family, using the proper respectful honorific for the teenager she hadn't met before. "Can I ask you a couple questions about Yuuei, please?"

"Here we go." Mara jabbed his sister with an extended finger. "Going on about the Heroes again." Mika attempted to jab him right back, but her had just phased straight through his body with the activation of her brothers Quirk. Izuku had to question which one of them was the oldest again. Mara acted a lot older, like a sarcastic teenager, while Mika still had trouble pronouncing words and using honorifics - Clearly, Mina had reached a point where she didn't care enough to correct Mara, and Micha was gonna say whatever he liked, honorifics or not. - Yet with it, the youngest Ashido member seemed to be very proactive. Almost like Izuku used to be.

"Didn't you ask me all about Yuuei already, Mika?" Mina asked, rolling her head over to see the younger sibling who controlled plastics.

"I want to hear it from someone else too."

Nodding, Izuku agreed. "I-I'd be happy to answer your questions."

"Oh God." Micha sighed.

Mika proved to be an incredibly curious individual, and asked a large number of inquiries that even a student at the prestigious school struggled to answer. Many of the questions ranged from the Heroes who taught there, to the individual Quirks of their classmates, details about his own Quirk, which he had to lie about, but sated the girl's curiosity all the same, to regular training regimes and the entrance examination. Izuku explained all that he was able to, went into detail where he could, and skimmed on the specifics wherever he could. He kept up with whatever he was asked, and gave responses to whoever asked, Micha and Mara popping in a few asks during the session.

The young Ashido revealed her own aspiration to try to become a Hero using her Quirk when she came of age, which Izuku couldn't help but smile at. He was certain that if she used her Quirk right, she could manage to become a Hero like she wanted. Controlling plastics was a useful ability in modern society, and a Quirkless Izuku would have given anything to have such a Quirk.

As much as Mina appreciated him encouraging her sister, she was starting to become weary of exactly what sorts of questions would be asked if she stuck around Micha and her mother for too long. If she wasn't careful, next thing she knew Micha would end up throwing packets of condoms at her, and so help her God, if he did that, or even asked that, she would dissolve him into literal nothingness. Grabbing her boyfriend's hand, she began to pull him away from the dining table and lead him up the stairs. "Hey mom, me and Izuku are going back upstairs, 'kay?"

"Okay. Bring your garbage down the next time you come down."

Izuku frantically tried to stop Mina from pulling him up the steps. Horrendous as it may be, he didn't want to seem ungrateful and rude about not finishing everything that had been given to him. "B-But I didn't fini -"

"Trust me, Izuku, you don't need to force yourself through that." Mina assured him. She had been fully aware that he was forcing himself to eat the food that he had absolutely not enjoyed in the slightest in an effort to be polite, but she didn't want to see him force himself to do something he didn't want to. "Mom's got a thick skin. She won't be upset with you. I think she liked you, actually."

Once again, Izuku found himself in Mina's room, only this time, he had been seated on her bed, which they used as a substitute for the lack of chairs in the room. The absence of chairs allowed them to sit next to one another, and let Mina rest her body against Izuku's sturdy frame happily and comfortably. The warmth their bodies gave one another provided only more comforting feelings for them both.

"Mom's cooking is disgusting. We all know that. She's been trying these new recipes for a few months now, and well... She's not really that good at it." Mina told him, resting her head on her new favourite spot, the nape of his neck, once again. It was comfortable and warm, and it didn't collide with her horns, which made it ideal for both of them.

"O-Oh... I - I didn't think it was that bad..."

"C'mon, be honest. It was bad, wasn't it?"

"...I... Didn't like it."

"Right. Because it was bad."

Izuku let out a sigh before he rested her head against Mina's, so close to his. He could catch that scent she had if he focused on it closely enough. He wasn't sure if it was a shampoo at this point, or if it was natural, that her Quirk also had the side effect of giving her a natural fragrance, but he was sure that, beaten only by her beautiful smile and energetic personality, it was one of the things he loved most about his beloved girlfriend.

"Your...Your family is... Interesting." He said, trying to keep the conversation going. Another thing he loved about her, her voice. Ever since he had first started getting to know her and eventually dating her, her voice had begun to sound like a choir whenever he heard it. Right now, he just wanted to hear her soothing voice.

"They're a lively bunch." She sighed fondly. "Sorry if they were kinda... Overwhelming. I know you're kinda shy, but I think they like you. To be honest, I think they're happy you like me even though I look... Odd."

"Huh?"

Mina smiled and snuggled into her boyfriend a bit more, making herself comfortable. Her right arm draped over Izuku's chest until it reached his left shoulder. "I guess they're happy that I got a boyfriend like you even though my Quirk makes me look so different. Like they were worried that I'd end up being lonely..."

"Oh... I... I never thought you looked... Odd. Looking abnormal is normal now."

"Because of our Quirks. Yeah, I know... But still, look at my siblings. They all look like regular people. Being around them reminds me a lot of just how different I look compared to everyone else I suppose. It doesn't usually bother me all that much, but, y'know... Sometimes I worry about it."

Her feelings were valid, Izuku thought to himself. Those sorts of thoughts and worries had to be natural for someone in her position, and the concerns that her family had, though good natured, would only serve to remind Mina of her abnormal appearance. Mina was a girl who didn't particularly care for her outward looks. That much could be figured out from how she would constantly undo her top buttons in her uniform, discard the jacket entirely whenever she got the chance, and would wear ragged and street-faring clothes that often showed off a lot of skin. But after what she'd just told him...

It was the dilemma of being simultaneously proud and almost ashamed of how she looked. Although to imagine Mina looking like anything else than what she was...

Izuku looked down at her, and saw her pink hair and skin. Her horns were also in view, just in front of his neck, a few centimetres away. Given the nature of her genes, and how her father's Quirk had affected her, this was the best that she could do without jabbing him in the jugular vein. Thinking about it, it was possible that this was a reason that she had mentioned she'd become worried about how she stood out. It meant that they had to be more careful when displaying affection like this, or she could accidentally knock out one of his eyes. If that was the case...

"...I'm glad you look like you do."

"What?"

"I... Like you like this, M-Mina... I - I think you're really special. You... You're really pretty. I think your smile is absolutely beautiful... And you're so cute when you're so full of energy... A-And..." He found himself hugging Mina as he spoke. "I l-love that you're so... Comfortable with b-being close to me..." When Mina didn't say anything in response, he continued, trying to rationalise his statements. "I -I was just thinking... I... It was how much you stood out that made me wonder why we hadn't spoken... And after I did... Start l-liking you... I... I'm just really happy that you are the kind of person you are, th-that's all. I never though you looked odd at all... And... I really... I-I don't wish you were any different, in any way at all."

He couldn't see it, but Mina had come very close to the verge of tears from her happiness to hear these things from him. She managed to suppress them from falling, but her grip tightened on Izuku as a direct result. It had been what she'd needed to hear. Exactly what she'd needed to hear.

It had been a silly insecurity, and she'd known that from the start. If Izuku was really that sort of vain or focused on looks like that, then he wouldn't have... He wouldn't have ever agreed to date. She knew that. She knew that about Izuku... Maybe she'd been worn down by the sheer number of people who had pointed out just how different they really were fundamentally speaking. Even her siblings had pointed out just how different they were. But did that honestly matter?

No. It didn't.

Mina knew what it was that she felt towards Izuku, and he'd made it clear that he felt the same way about her. That was all that they needed, wasn't it? All they needed to know. Not what their inhuman traits were. She didn't need to know anything further than the fact that his green hair had black highlights, and he didn't need to know anything further than what he could see about her and her various superhuman looks. Hearing that... Was just the reassurance she had needed.

It was also the shot of courage that she needed to force herself to do something she had wanted to do for a while, but had shied away from due to the aforementioned doubt. Perhaps her hesitation to summon up the bravery to push herself to do this was what had led to those doubts. With them shattered, she felt confident in doing this.

Shaking aside any of that ridiculous doubt, Mina lifted herself up off of Izuku, but she didn't remove her hand from his shoulder. Instead, she let that remain where it was, grip still firmly on there. Her head tilted, and showed off her apparently beautiful smile to him in full. But there was a sparkle in those darkened eyes that he hadn't quite seen before. Something...

"Izuku... Thanks. Really, thank you." She blushed her trademark lilac colour in full. Her voice was soft, dripping with deep gratitude. Her peppy personality had creeped back into her attitude with the words she spoke. "I'm uh... I'd like to do something that's probably gonna be pretty stupid."

"Wait, what're you -" He began to speak, but Izuku was instantly silence by Mina closing the gap between them, until their faces were barely inches away. They were closer than they were in the foyer when they had first entered the building, and this time, it hadn't been accidental either. This had been a fully intended movement, and Mina was being deliberate in her actions. Their eyes watched one another's, Izuku feeling his cheeks burning up while he found himself suddenly lost in the dark voids that were Mina's eyes.

Both of them felt their individual heartbeats increase, although Mina didn't pay it any real mind. She was too far in to back out now, even if she wanted to. A few seconds passed in sullen silence, where everything felt painfully still, like they'd been encased in hot ice. Izuku daren't move for fear of upsetting or interrupting whatever it was that Mina was going to do. Although Mina on the other hand, she ran her hand from his shoulder up his neck and to his cheek, ghosting over him, like he was something fragile.

"I love you." Mina finally said with a smile and blush on her face. "You make me really happy. I really love you."

If Izuku went any more red, he'd end up turning a shade of scarlet that had not yet been discovered by the human colour spectrum. If his heart rate went any faster, he'd probably risk a heart attack. If his eyes went wider, they'd burst right out of his skull. He was certain that he'd misheard for a moment, until he suddenly found himself being leaned into, and, ever so softly, Mina's lips pressing against his own, stealing his first kiss from him, and threatening to send him into a state of shock.

Mina's eyes were closed and she let out a small hum of complete relaxation and enjoyment throughout the kiss in its entirety, which lasted all of about five seconds. Those five seconds however, were one of the most simultaneously tense and pleasant of Izuku's entire life of fifteen years. His entire body was instantly hit with an adrenaline wave that sent his heart into a near catatonic state.

Her lips were so sweet though...

When she finally pulled away and looked back at the green eyes that hadn't shut once throughout the kiss, she wanted to burst into laughter. Her eyes closed alongside her smile, and a small giggle let itself out her mouth.

Izuku shut down, every single skin cell on his body turning a shade of bright red. Such a quick adrenaline release, followed by a sudden drop of the rush, and Izuku just fell backwards onto the bed, steam rising from his skin like he was a frying pan.

"I-Izuku? You alright?!"

"That... You... Didn't... That wasn't... Fair..." He seemed to be missing out words entirely, and he wasn't able to string together a coherent sentence, his mind muddled and completely in shambles trying to process the circumstances in which his first kiss was taken were under. The more he thought about it, the deeper the red on his face became, and the more white mist rose from his burning cheeks.

Ashido Mina couldn't help but laugh at her awkward boyfriend Midoriya Izuku. She loved this boy to death.

* * *

 **Mina normally wouldn't give a flying damn about her looks - She's clearly comfortable with her appearance from what we've seen. It probably helps that she lives in a world where it's the norm to look like you're a Mutant from X-Men, which I also use as the same logic as to why Izuku overlooks that, but I brought it up in this chapter on this logic - My logic for these two being this way about appearances is pretty much how I perceive languages.**

 **For Mina, it's how I perceive my own appearance - I don't give too much of a damn how the rest of the world sees me. I never brush my hair, to give an example, and it's ridiculously long. However, if I had horns, claws, or something like that, I would be concerned for the comfort of someone I was in a relationship with. On the flip-side, if I was in love with someone who had horns or claws, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Respectively, these personality traits went into Mina and Izuku. Hope that makes sense ^_^**

 **Mina being the only member of her family to have a full body Quirk alteration was a head-cannon I've been toying with for a few months now. I think it'd be sort of amusing to have in the actually cannon.**

 **Also, I hope you guys can forgive me for the gap between chapters. I've been in Belgium for the past day, so I worked like hell to get this one ready for you. I hope you enjoyed ^_^**


	11. A Dangerous Truth

"...You're asking me to reveal my secret to Ashido?"

Izuku bit down in his lower lip. Hard. Only he, and the staff at Yuuei, as well as a select bunch of individuals in the police and government had even the slightest clue about the secret of All Might, about One For All. To come up and ask for him to make an addition to those ranks was near inconceivable. He knew exactly what he was asking. He was asking All Might to trust Mina with the truth.

About One For All. About All For One. About All Might.

About Izuku, and his Quirk.

For a few moments though, he struggled to speak. There were a thousand thoughts going through his head right at this moment, and none of them were collected or organised in any manner. He knew that he wanted to let Mina know the truth about his powerful Quirk. He didn't want to hide anything from her. Not anymore.

To be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to. Not after the kiss they'd shared. Not after she'd told him she'd loved him.

Because he loved her as well, and he didn't want to risk ruining everything over this.

He was able to hide the truth from his own mother, and he could handle that. He knew exactly what the dangers were there. He just couldn't tell her. She wasn't a Pro-Hero, or even in training to be one. On the off chance she slipped up and told a civilian... But he couldn't hide it from Mina. He just couldn't anymore.

Mind racing back to the kiss Mina had given him, and Izuku's face went red on the spot. She'd stolen his first kiss from him with a smile on her face, and she'd done it with such tender emotion and love, Izuku could practically feel it seeping through her lips. They had tasted so sweet, like sugar, in spite of the frankly disgusting meal they had shared just prior to the joining of their lips. They had been so soft, almost as if they were cotton against his skin.

She was beautiful. She really was, in that moment, she was all that the green haired boy had focused on, in both his eyesight, and his thought process. The way she had so softly spoken those meaningful words, and pulled him into a romantic act... The way she had smiled, and how her beautiful dark eyes had gleamed when they had separated. And her laugh after, that laugh just simple, pure happiness that left her outrageously pretty smile...

God, he'd never been more in love with her.

He didn't want to lie to her about his power anymore. He didn't think he could hide it. Eventually, it would slip out, or she'd piece it together. Mina wasn't exactly book smart like he was, but she wasn't an idiot. She would figure it out given enough time.

But he was asking All Might to let him confess the origins of his power... And there wasn't any way she'd believe him unless she heard it from the powers original bearer. Saw proof of it. And even that aside... He just needed to ask All Might.

This was the man he had admired throughout his entire life. The man who he looked up to as the symbol of what a Hero was, and always should be. The man who had given him his own Quirk. The man who made that dream, a dream practically impossible for someone born without a Quirk, into a real, serious possibility! But the only way to reveal the truth about One For All, about how it was inherited from one person to the next was going to be believed with serious credibility... Faith and goodwill only took people so far. He needed All Might to confirm it with Mina, to say that he wasn't lying, to say he wasn't just making this up. If he was against it, firmly enough to flat out deny the request, to refuse to give away anything relating to his Quirk, Izuku would have no choice but to respect that. He didn't have the right to push things with his mentor, his Hero. After everything he'd done for him, how could he even think to push for more?

He couldn't explain it any better than that. He just didn't want to hide it anymore, and wanted to tell her the truth.

"I... I just want to tell her the truth about One For All... But I know that that could include letting her in on, well, everything... About that guy with the Quirk that lets him steal other Quirks and pass them down... About..." Izuku bit on his words. How could he even phrase this? There wasn't really a way to explain what he was describing, since he knew so little about it himself. "You... I... I know that I'm asking you for a lot, All Might... I'll understand if you think it's too dangerous to let her know, really. "Izuku meant it too. He wouldn't argue. He wouldn't fight the decision. He wouldn't even ask for a reason why. He already knew.

All Might was a great many things. And he knew a large number of things to go with that. He knew exactly how a Hero should act, with other Heroes and the average citizen, and how to perform a huge number of special moves, rescue manoeuvres and tricks with his Quirk. He knew how to lie, very well. He knew how to stand tall and act as the symbol of peace that the world had deigned him to be. He knew how to hide behind a brave face and make the entire world believe it was a true grin. And he knew about the threats behind the surface of this superhuman world they lived in.

He knew about Sensei. About the threat he was...

But he didn't know why Izuku wanted to inform Ashido about this. About the secrets that they had to keep to protect the whole of society. About things that he wasn't even certain Ashido would be able to comprehend. He hadn't been able to when he'd had this information dumped on him all at once. And to the best of his knowledge... Ashido was barely even his friend. Of all the people...

His true form was a skinny man, with a ridiculously long neck. This neck tilted, and the pupils that were constantly covered by the shadows of his brow seemed to narrow. "...Midoriya, my boy, why do you feel the need to explain to Ashido about your Quirk? You already attempted to inform Bakugou, and we were extraordinarily fortunate that he did not believe you. You explained to me that that was because of your previous friendship with him and the respect you have for him as a person, and I can somewhat understand that... But with Ashido, I'm afraid you've lost me."

It only occurred to Izuku in that moment that he'd never actually told All Might about his relationship with Mina. The last few weeks had been rather hectic, what with the end of semester tests coming up shortly, cramming in studying and combat practice, and actually spending time with Mina, it had seemed like less of a priority to do so, with so many other things going on. He found himself with his usual stammer again, fidgeting with his fingers as he explained the reason. "Uh, well, y-you see... M-Mina-san and I... Are sort of, um, dating..."

It hadn't exactly been the reason All Might had expected, but now that it was out in the open, it made the most sense. The world's top Hero looked at Izuku with a mixture of both surprise and what the closest thing to pride could be called without it actually bordering into it. It made his reasons for wanting to let her know about his Quirk all that more sensical.

Still, he was surprised to learn that Izuku had been becoming involved in a relationship with another one of his classmates, especially someone as hyperactive as Ashido. The two barely seemed comparable at first glance, Izuku being the most shy and timid boy in the class, and probably the entire school, book-smart, and genetically Quirkless, and then you had Ashido, who was pretty much the exact opposite, being loud and sociable with practically anyone, and fell in one of the lowest places when it came to the classes grades. Along with that, her natural Quirk gave her an appearance that looked so bizarre she almost resembled an alien. It was possibly a case of opposites attracting one another, at least, that's how someone in All Mights perspective could have mistaken it as, yet he felt there was more to it than that. If he knew one thing about his protégé, it was that he was more complicated than his simple appearance conveyed. He wasn't that easy to read.

The middle aged man also took note on how Izuku was using her first name. Of course, he was using the proper respectful honorific when referring to her, but it seemed likely to him that he wouldn't use that when around her. It was an indicator as to how close they were, despite this relationship only possibly being a few weeks old, perhaps a month, at the most.

He wasn't under any doubt that this was good for the boy, no question whatsoever. Even if the relationship crashed and burned to the ground, it would be a healthy experience for him to grow and mature as an individual. After everything the class had been through, it was a good sign to see that at least two of them were able to leave those experiences and not let them interfere with their lives. They had learned from it, and were able to move on.

Of course, this was also a risky move...

"I was unaware." All Might nodded, bringing his hands together. "That'll be good for you. But... Midoriya, I don't like to be the one to say this, but there is a possibility that your relationship will not work out." He could see Izuku flinch, as he had guessed his might. "If we told Ashiso, and you both ended your relationship... Then -"

"She wouldn't just go off and tell anyone!" Izuku cut in before he even knew what he was doing. "Mina's a lot of things, sure, but she isn't a blabbermouth! I know that she'd understand how serious this is!" Once he'd finished, he suddenly and sharply clasped his hands over his mouth, panicking because, holy crap, he'd just cut off and yelled at All Might like that!

Still... He stood by his words. Mina was talkative, and he'd always know that, but when she wanted to keep something personal or hold onto a secret, she was tight lipped. She could be stubborn when she wanted to be. That was just how she was.

Faith was something that Izuku had plenty of, there wasn't any question about that. It impressed the eighth user of One For All how willing he was to but all his trust into someone. Of course, he hadn't expected anything less. The world's number one Hero felt the corners of his lips tug into a small smile, only to drop back down into the frown he normally wore.

Still, the risks of telling people about his Quirk... Were all too clear.

"...Midoriya, do you love Ashido?"

The question caught Izuku off guard, and he blushed a bright scarlet colour, babbling something, avoiding answering until he saw the look on All Might's face. Stern, solemn. Serious. He wasn't just trying to tease or trick Izuku, like someone else might have done. He wasn't messing around. He was asking a serious question, and needed a serious answer.

"...Yes. I do." Izuku managed to answer, without tripping over his words.

"And you're prepared to try and make it work between you and her?"

"Yes."

"And you trust her?"

The green haired boy blinked as he nodded. "With my life."

At the end of the day, Izuku was the ninth inheritor to One For All. Someday, it would fall on him to decide who knew about this Quirk, and who didn't. He'd have to choose the people he could trust, the people who could know about this unique Quirk, even among Quirks.

The crown would lay heaviest of the wearers head.

All Might let out a long sigh. He closed his eyes and looked up to the ceiling, watching the singular rotating fan travel around the light bulb for just a few moments. He had defended his position firmly, and he still maintained that as few people knew, the better it would be… But Izuku knew that too. He wasn't an idiot, at all. He had to understand the risks, and what they entailed…

"L-Like I said, I completely understand if you think it's going too far…" Izuku timidly said, at this point just wanting some sort of reaction from his mentor, fidgeting with his fingers as he began to regret ever coming to speak to him about this. He'd known it had been a longshot from the get go, and yet he still wanted to see if it was a possibility.

All Might directed his gaze and looked at his young inheritor in the eyes for a good solid ten seconds. Ten silent, uncomfortable seconds for Izuku, until finally, the Pro-Hero spoke. "All For One is strictly off the table. He cannot be mentioned. If she panics after hearing all of this, the last thing that we need is for her to spread rumours about someone like him."

Suddenly, Izuku gulped when he realised what he had just been told. He looked at his tutor, eyes coated over by a layer of dark shadows that came from his brow. He man looked like he was almost making a confident mistake. "A-Are you sure this is alright?"

The skinny man let out another sigh. "Every day, I'm working with less and less time to perform Hero duties. Barely even an hour at this point... Before long, the entire class will know anyway, and I won't be able to access the remnants of One For All before long... Perhaps it is better that someone know inside the class aside from you. Less damage to deal with... Crap." All Might sighed. "No, my boy, I'm not entirely certain... But if I can't trust my protégé, then I'm not much of a teacher, am I?"

* * *

"Hey, um, Ashido-san, do you know where Deku is?"

Izuku usually arrived at classes earlier than most other pupils. That was something that he could generally be relied on for. He claimed it was because he wanted to get ready for the lesson that they had ahead of them, regardless as to what subject that it may be. Sometimes he'd spend a few minutes making notes in those books he always wrote in about people's Quirks, or techniques used by other people, or anything even akin to that.

But homeroom? He was normally ten minutes ahead of the clock, and classes were about to start any minute now. Him being late was….Usually a bad sign. Shooting another worried look around the classroom, Mina had to let out a long, deep sigh. He hadn't sent her any texts telling her he was going to be late, if he was off ill for whatever reason, or anything like that. "No, I have no idea, Uraraka. I sent him a couple messages a while ago, but he hasn't been registered as seeing them. I'm a little concerned to tell you the truth…"

Was it possible that he was doing this in an effort to avoid her? Mina had a worry that her bold move last Friday might have tipped him over the edge, since he had been generally quiet over the weekend, and not really exchanged too many messages with her. He'd exchanged a few, but she'd noticed that there was a distinct drop in the number of messages that they normally sent one another. Now he'd just gone AWOL. It was worrying for Mina, to say the least.

"It's not like him to be late…" Uraraka thought aloud, glancing at the door, as if he was about to walk through just at that moment and erase all worries from the minds of the two of them. His punctuality was well noted, unless exceptional circumstances were at play. "Didn't he say anything to you?"

"Izuku doesn't exactly report to me, y'know." Mina responded with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit. In the rational side of her brain, she knew that it was nothing like that, that he was either just running late, or was sick and had a bad connection, or that he was actually in the school right now, doing something else before attending homeroom. Otherwise, he would have messaged her, there wasn't any doubt in her mind. "I'm his girlfriend Uraraka, not his drill sergeant." As she said this, she made a sloppy mock salute towards the Zero Gravity Quirk user, allowing her hand to remain limp as she did so.

"I know, I was just…."

"Chill, I was kidding." Mina assured her with her hands up in a mock surrender and a genuine smile on her face. "It is weird that he isn't here yet… But I'm sure he's fine. I'm a little more concerned about you right now."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're acting kinda weird, like, I dunno, like you're trying to avoid something. Everything alright in there? Nothing wrong?"

In truth, Uraraka had no idea what she was feeling these days. If she was doing okay or not, or if something was even wrong with her in the first place. Day to day life went as it normally did, between saving money for house expenses and Yuuei School and homework, she'd had plenty to keep her occupied. Deku was still around, she didn't see any less of her friend just because of his relationship with Ashido.

Although that could be an issue in itself.

Uraraka and Ashido got along. They were friends. Their similar, friendly and excitable personalities practically had guaranteed that they would be able to establish a working friendship not too long into the school year. And Uraraka liked Ashido as a person, no doubt. It would be a far more boring classroom without her in there.

And yet, ever since Deku had begun dating Ashido, Uraraka couldn't help but feel uneasy. She was rather affectionate towards him in public, despite their relatively new relationship, and that wasn't exactly a helpful factor in the matter, but more than that, it seemed to be the fact that it was Deku that was messing with Uraraka. The idea that she was jealous of their relationship was simply absurd, she dismissed, thinking nothing more of it.

At least, that was what she told herself...

But what else could she say to Ashido, other than the usual? "No... I'm okay. Just a bit tired I guess."

"Oh? Working hard till the late hours to keep your takeout meals from floating off into space and landing on some kid's hoodie?"

"That was one time, and I-it was an accident!"

"You send the delivery guy up into the stratosphere this time then?"

Both the girls shared a giggle at their conversation, before Aizawa-sensei walked into the room to begin the homeroom. Uraraka suddenly shot into her seat like a bullet, and the room fell into absolute silence, as they had learned to do so whenever their homeroom teacher Erasure-Head walked in.

Aizawa never bothered with the pleasantries. A quick morning was the most that anyone would be able to get from him, before he leaped right into the nitty gritty of the day's events planned, before signing off and leaving the class in the hands of whoever they had first that day. He didn't take long to scribble some things in chalk up on the board, reminding the students of their upcoming tests towards the end of the semester. A few students squirmed at the reminder. Mina barely even noticed it.

It wasn't before this was over that a small chime came from their homeroom teacher's general direction. The scruffy middle aged man reached into one of the pockets on his jacket, and retrieved an old looking phone, that he no doubt purchased due to its cheap price. A few students were visually ticked off by the mere action, with the number of times Aizawa-sensei had told them no phones whatsoever during homeroom. No doubt he'd justify this hypocrisy by telling them some logical rhetoric regarding him needing his for work reasons.

A few pressed of buttons later, the man's eyes ricocheted onto the group's resident Acid user. "Ashido, Headmaster Nedzu's telling me All Might wants to see you."

The girl blinked a few times before she registered what was being said. "Wha - Me? What for?"

"Go find out. Nedzu's office." Was the simple response, before throwing over a permission slip to her seat. "I'll make sure your next teacher knows where you are if you take too long. Just get it done, quick."

* * *

To the best of her knowledge, Mina hadn't done anything wrong. Failed a few written tests, sure, but from a Physical assessment, she was doing pretty well, so everything should be evening out, right? There wasn't anything that should be cause for serious alarm, at least not yet anyway.

Okay, so she might be flunking at maths, but still! She was improving... Slowly.

So that left her with the question, what the heck did All Might want?

All Might graded them based on their physical capabilities, so she shouldn't have anything to worry about regarding that. Instead, this was something else. A shiver ran down her spine when she considered the possibility that All Might had found out about her and Izuku's fight with Overgrow, that Kamui Woods had ratted them out after all this time. But no, that couldn't be it. It seemed unlikely that he knew both of them were Yuuei students. Possible, but unlikely. Neither of them were in uniform at the time, and they looked a lot more broken than they might otherwise, and they never gave him their names. Plus, the Lumber Quirk using Hero had let them go, despite their interference with the Capture of the Villain, and technical Vigilantism. He didn't strike Mina as a liar. So it couldn't be that.

Couldn't be bad, couldn't be good. Mina was stumped.

The young girl made her way through the many twists and sharp turns of Yuuei High, taking s flight of stairs up to their Headmasters office. The layout of the school was enormous. Since Aizawa-sensei had just totally abandoned the orientation session on the first day, Mina still hadn't memorized it all. It took her a few wrong turns before she finally made her way to their rat-mouse-bear... Animal... Thing, of a Headmasters office.

The sight that made her stop in her tracks was Izuku stood right outside the door. Waiting for her. He wasn't making any movement, nothing to indicate that he was going to or from the office himself. He was just stood there, waiting for someone. Her, most likely.

His uniform was neat as always, no creases as per usual, and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him... But he looked different. Almost alien. His expression was solemn, worried for whatever reason, like he was in the process of doing something he felt he would regret. Such downright, for lack of a better word, fear wasn't something Mina even really recognized. Anxiety and nervousness, sure, but for Izuku to actually look scared like he did right now...

"Izuku?"

When he looked up, she saw that he really was etched with worry. His movements seemed rigid, way too stiff and nowhere near enough limber to any action that he took. The way he was moving, it looked like he had a boulder attached to each one of his limbs.

"M-Mina!"

The pink girl made her way next to the door, and her boyfriend, her right eye quirked up in curiosity. "Izuku? I thought you weren't going to come in today. I thought you were sick or something." Despite the unusual circumstances, Mina couldn't help but blush ever so lightly, and smile at her boyfriend. "It's really good to see you." Seeing him today ricocheted her mind back to the previous kiss. It then bounced right back to his rigid posture. Had it turned even stiffer since she'd shown up? "You okay? You're all tense."

Pushing forward what could generously be called a loose smile at best, Izuku attempted to wave off the question as best he could. "I-I'm fine, Mina. I just..." He failed miserably on that front. Unable to string together a coherent sentence due to both his own awkwardness, and the sheer nervousness that his system had been thrown into, he just floundered for a few seconds.

Feeling slightly mischievous, which was only fuelled further by her amusement at Izuku floundering like an idiot, Mina made a swift movement to close the gap between them, and pressed her lips quickly, and incredibly briefly against his, before jumping back to her original positioning like she hadn't moved, but with a far bigger grin on her face. "Chill, 'kay?"

Like the previous time, Izuku seemed to heat up so much steam could be seen rising from his skin, although this time at least, he managed to stay upright. His eyes were still wide, but he did seem to simultaneously relax himself at the same time. He took a second to calm himself down, though his face remained as red as humanly possible.

"S-Sorry... For not letting you know I'd be here. This... Took longer than I thought it would." He said, looking towards the door to Nedzu's office with concern, worry as to if he was doing the right thing.

"What did?"

Izuku sighed, before looking at Mina, straight in the eye. He found it slightly difficult to do, since she'd just kissed him again, both times now having been her catching off guard. Even Mina could see though, this time, he was serious. Lethally serious. "Mina. I... I need you to listen to me here, okay?"

His serious tone sent a shiver down her spine, yet she nodded. "Of course, Izuku. Whats going on?"

"Look, I'm the reason you've been called here." He explained. "I promise it's nothing bad... Well, depending on your perspective, it could be, but it's not anything you need to be worried about... But I need you to promise me that everything that happens in this room doesn't ever get repeated. Ever. Even if we... Go different ways, I need you to promise that you'll never say what you're about to hear to anyone." His tone didn't waver at all. It was something Mina took note of. He didn't flinch once during the explanation. No stutters. No trip ups. Nothing. It wasn't like him. "Your parents... Micha, Mara, Mika, no one. It's really important."

Still, Mina nodded, and gave him an intentionally jokey pouting face. "I won't tell if you don't want me to. You don't trust me?"

"I'm not exactly... Asking for me." Izuku lamented, reaching for the door handle. "I'm asking for All Might."

Before Mina could ask him what he meant, the door was suddenly open. Nedzu's office was atypical of that of Headmasters. Two sofas, a table and a desk, said desk littered with work stationary. These were the only things that Mina took notice of before seeing a skinny man, sat on one of said sofas, who craned his abnormally long neck to face the two entrances, looking solemn and serious as Izuku. All Might wasn't anywhere to be found though, which certainly confused Mina. Nedzu wasn't there either. Wasn't this his office? Where the heck was he?

"Uh, Midori?" Mina switched to her public nickname for him quickly in front of this stranger. "I don't get it. I thought I was supposed to have been called in by All Might."

For a second, Izuku very clearly flinched, conflicted for just a second. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated just what he was doing. He shot a look towards the skinny man, like he was seeking approval. Whatever he was looking for, he received it in the form of a nod.

He gulped, and then looked at Mina. "...That guy.. Is All Might."

"Uh, what?" Mina legitimately had to stop herself from laughing at the absurdity the statement, until she saw that Izuku was being one-hundred per-cent serious. There wasn't even a hint of him telling a lie. No obvious shows, no fighting back a grin, no twitches, nothing. "Wait - Wait a second, you're serious?" She then shot a look at the skinny man, who looked like he was actually sweating. "You're telling me this guy right here is All Might?"

"Ashido." There was no mistaking the voice. It belonged to the world's number one Hero, without made the whole situation even more unsettling was the cough he gave after, which resulted in a thin line of blood dripping from his mouth, yet he continued speaking like it hadn't even happened. "I assure you, Izuku is being completely honest with you."

Eyes shooting wide, Mina found herself totally lost for words, for the first time in a long time. Completely and utterly speechless, with absolutely no idea whatsoever as to what to even say. There wasn't anything she could even think of saying, of even asking, as she tried to process the information that had just been hurled at her like a brick to the head.

"Like I said..." Izuku muttered quietly. "Nothing you hear in here can leave the room." He then shut the door quietly, and locked it, ensuring their privacy for the next few, dragged out minutes.

* * *

Izuku and All Might explained. Everything, from the beginning, only excluding information about the Villain who had indirectly birthed One For All. Word by word, Mina felt her entire mind being blown. Everything that needed to be explained was explained. All Might, and now Izuku's Quirk, how it came to be, the state All Might found himself in, and Izuku's Quirkless nature. Mina listened to all of it, in total silence.

Izuku had been the one to explain everything outside the Quirk, One For All, and how it worked. He explained his past, his own lack of a natural Quirk, and how he'd come into contact with the one he had now.

There was a clear worry in Izuku's voice as he spoke. Very clear, in spite of his lack of wavering as he explained everything. His body language expressed it too, so much so that Mina sometimes focused more on that than the words he was saying. There wouldn't ever be enough time to explain the sheer anxiety he was experiencing.

Given everything she was hearing... Mina could understand why. For the first time in her life, she fully understood why he was so damn anxious.

At the end of hearing all of it, she sat in complete silence for a few moments, feeling like her brain was about to burst out of her skull. So much information to process, sometimes it would just go in one ear and out the other when it came to this sort of thing, but this was sticking with her. She could feel her veins pressing up against her forehead due to thinking too hard about what the hell she had just heard.

Part of her wanted Izuku to start giggling and reveal the whole thing as some elaborate prank. She'd never thought in her life that she'd prefer hearing a twenty minute lecture about her failing grades and how close she was to flunking out than this. This was too much for her to register.

"Do you have any... Questions?" All Might questioned, his bone hands held out, like he was preparing to accept them into his hand.

Oh yes, Mina had questions.

"...So let me get this straight." She started, feeling what she hoped wasn't a migraine press against her head. She pointed towards All Might, and looked him over again. Baggy clothing, and darkened eye sockets. He couldn't look less like the Hero she knew. "You're All Might, and this is what you normally look like."

"Yes."

"You... Had an injury that made your Quirk limited to a shorter amount of time than normal. On top of that, you used to be Quirkless..."

"Correct."

"And this Quirk..."

"One For All."

"Right... This Quirk can be passed on from person to person..." She then shifted her body to face Izuku, who was sat opposite her, next to All Might. "Someone passed it on to you... And... You passed it on to Midori?"

"That's right."

"And you... Midori, you were Quirkless before all this?" She blinked a few times, before continuing. "You told me you went into the entrance exam not knowing what your Quirk was. That you were a late bloomer. So that was... A lie?"

Guilt spread all over Izuku's face instantly at the use of that word. He'd hated having to keep his Quirk a secret from her. He didn't particularly like hiding it from anyone, but those were the rules All Might had given him. At the rate things were going, he was beginning to regret the choice to tell her. "I... Yes... It was."

"I asked him to lie." All Might interjected before anything else was said. "There was a danger that if anyone else knew, they may try to forcibly steal the power from him, which could lead to people discovering my true form. I asked him to ensure his and my own safety."

All this information... It had to be a joke, she was half convinced. That the idea of passing down a Quirk was insane, that it wasn't a possible thing to do. That it wasn't... That it just wasn't viable.

But...

"...Okay." She nodded and smiled. "Alright. Got it."

"Wait, what?" Izuku looked at her like she'd grown a head atop either of her horns, and that those had grown heads upon their own horns like some sort of horror version of a Russian doll. "Th-That's it?!"

"To be totally honest, I'm still kinda confused. This is a hell of a lot of stuff to process at once... But it does explain... A lot." Mina thought back over everything she knew regarding Izuku's Quirk. "The bone breaking, how nervous you get when we talk about your Quirk... Yeah, I can believe it." She smiled at her boyfriend warmly. "Remember what I said when we first spoke? I said your Quirk was strange. Guess this explains a ton of stuff about it." She let out a small sigh of held breath that she hadn't been aware of. "So, top secret, yeah? Super-secret Pro stuff? No one else knows?"

The professional Hero had to blink a few times himself at how... Extraordinarily well Mina had just taken the news. She'd had no problem accepting it whatsoever, even if she didn't fully understand it. "The staff at Yuuei know... A few policemen and government officials. Some trusted Heroes, but not too many. Midoriya... And now you, Ashido."

Making a peace sign with her hands, Mina gave him a bright smile. "I'll keep it quiet! No one's heard anything from me, Pinky's promise!"

* * *

"Are you…. Uh… Mad with me?" Izuku asked timidly, as he and Mina walked down the corridors back to their classrooms, in an almost worrying silence.

It hadn't been like the young teenager hadn't expected his girlfriend to be a slightly bit colder towards him after this revelation. It wasn't unexpected, he'd prepared for this sort of thing… but he had at least expected something from her. Some sort of response. Some… Something. Her being quiet was almost certainly a bad sign.

Was it because he had lied to her? Because he hadn't been honest with her?...

Though instead, Mina shook her head. "No, not at all… You lied, but you had a very good reason. I don't blame you at all… It's just…" She spun around to look at him, and gave him a warm look. "I guess it's just… I'm still processing it all I suppose."

It was totally understandable, Izuku knew. He recalled that his own surprise and confusion was similar, but when he had been thrown into the position where he had to choose to accept that Quirk or not, he'd had to get over it quicker. Of course, when at home and thinking about it in detail, it had kept him awake at night as he thought about it all.

"Yeah… I was the same way when I first heard it all." He chuckled lightly at the memory, which seemed so long ago right now. It was only a few months ago, but since so much had happened since then, it felt like it had been two years. "It was just a really… A lot to take in, isn't it?"

"It really is… I'd never heard of a Quirk that could do that." Mina smiled. "I always did think your Quirk was odd. Guess I was right."

"If it… Makes you feel any different, I wanted to tell you." Izuku admitted, without really thinking about it. "I wanted to admit to you that my Quirk was passed down… I came close a few times… I just…. I-I think it's because of… You know… Those…" He quickly became quiet at he muttered the word "Kisses." Before he went red and continued talking. "I-I just wanted to… T-To have everything… Out in the open with you…"

"Oh?" Her beautiful smile came into view as her lips curled.

"Y-Yeah…" Izuku blushed as he felt his heart pound again. Ever since she had kissed him… Twice now, the second one being as impulsive and unexpected as the first one. Mina seemed capable of just giving them out after just one, while Izuku worried his own damn heart would give out if this kept up. Just seeing that smile seemed to send his heart into an absolute frenzy. "I… I don't like keeping secrets if I'm honest…"

"You're sweet." Mina teased him happily. "If that's the case, just one question?"

"S-Sure."

"Can I kiss you again?"

The question threw Izuku right into red crimsons again. It was only at that moment when he noticed that she was a lot closer to him than they normally were, and considering that she was often times hugging onto his arm, that was saying a lot. She'd suddenly closed the gap quickly, her body against his, and their lips very close to one another. Whether or not she had bothered to check if anyone was around or watching them was up to debate, but by Izuku's very brief look, they were alone.

Still, that didn't help his instant stammer and loss of words. "Wha?..."

"I'm really happy you told me everything that you did today… I really am. I… know that you must have been really worried about what I would think, and what All Might would have to think… I know you admire him a lot… You haven't kept that a secret to literally anyone, but you went and got his permission anyway… And that means a lot to me." A display of the far more soft side that she had hidden under the energetic wraps that she had up at most of the time, and with that, she gave him yet another one of those perfect smiles. "I want to kiss you again…"

For whatever reason, despite what normal reservations Izuku would have about this sort of thing, especially here, when he had a say in it, he allowed himself to agree to the kiss, which came a few seconds later. It also marked the first time he did something that, for him, was incredibly heart-pounding, and the most intimate thing he'd ever done.

He kissed her back.

* * *

 **Full disclaimer - I find All Might very difficult to write. I hope he came across well in this chapter.**

 **To me, Izuku doesn't like keeping secrets or lying. I doubt he likes it at all, but he does so because All Might requested he do so, and he admires All Might enough to agree. I don't doubt for a second that if he was allowed, he'd be completely up front with his powers and their origins. Speaking of which - I'm fully aware how unlikely it is that this would ever happen with any character. I just like to imagine it and toy with the idea, which is where this came from. I hope it was at least enjoyable ^_^**

 **On that note - MinaDeku may be ending in a few chapters - Maybe five or six more, but it will also be replaced with another My Hero Academia story, with MinaDeku in it, with just as much fluff. I have an AU idea that I'm excited to put out there to see how it does with you guys. I'm excited to get it up soon - Expect a big chapter on that. I'll let you guys all know where to find it one here as soon as it goes up ^_^**

 **Now thats out of the way - I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^_^**


	12. Study Buddy

Tapping her pencil against her desk, Mina attempted to do up basic calculations and add up logic in her head. Two books open with both Mathematics and Heroic theory stared right back at her, their glares meeting halfway, intense hatred so strong on both parts it threatened to generate pure electricity. It'd put Kaminari out of commission, for certain.

Quadrilateral equations, the usage of Quirks in public areas, Algebra, and Hostage Situational reports. Mina had a vague, very vague idea on how the Hero stuff worked, but not even close to enough to figure it out before the tests would start rolling in. All around her, by instruction of Aizawa-sensei before he'd left the room to do something else that had required his attention, whatever the heck that was, were students doing independent study, figuring out things that they still struggled with before the next set of examinations and tests began.

When it came to physical performance, Mina was pretty damn good. She was more than capable of keeping up with her classmates, her reflexes and skill with her Quirk was well documented. She was a capable individual, and she was in a good state of fitness too. Better than most of the other girls in her class.

But academically...

With a smile, the pink girl put her pencil down, rested her hands behind her head as she leaned back, and laughed lightly. "I'm absolutely screwed here, aren't I?" She didn't even know where to begin! How the heck was she supposed to figure out Quadrilateral's and Surface Area?! She had signed up for the Hero course, not Maths class! She didn't get Maths! It had played a minor part in why the course had looked so appealing, the idea of barely having to touch the damn numbers again.

Instead, here she was with a long list of arithmetic questions that she knew the same amount as she did about a nuclear reactor. It was such a huge bunch of nonsense to her she couldn't help but laugh to herself, like it was all some sort of joke on paper. Because this - This! - was apparently the heart of Heroism!

Obviously everyone in Japan was required by law to have at least a high school grade when it came to Maths and English, much like most other modern countries, but that still didn't mean Mina understood it in any way. English wasn't too bad. She understood that surprisingly well. Maths was what was screwing her over though, royally.

As for the Hero stuff, she had a better idea on how that worked, but not anywhere near as much as she'd have liked. Her confidence in this sort of area was lacking, to say the least. Obviously the basics of what the subject matter was would be fairly obvious - Heroes go in, protect civilians, ensure their safety, and kick the bad guy's asses. That was about as complicated as butter on bread. That was pretty much ethics in a nutshell.

What she wasn't entirely confident on were the specifics of those. How one was supposed to go around doing such a thing, what practices were considered acceptable and logical in this particular situation, what she should use in said situations. She understood the overview, but it was the details that were dragging her down.

To be perfectly honest, it surprised her that she was even spending the time to revise at all. She'd never particularly been the kind of person to sit down with a textbook, read it, and try and make sense of all the ramblings that it contained. Under the circumstances, she'd probably have spent the time talking to the people around her, or just staring off into space out of sheer boredom.

Maybe Izuku was having a good influence on her.

Speaking of Izuku, Mina had certainly had a fair amount to process since yesterday, and still dealing with coming to terms with the truth today. It was taking up a bit of her brain power, but she couldn't stop thinking about it all. Learning the truth about everything had been a... Surprise to say the least. All Might, Quirkless Izuku, One For All... The thing that surprised her the most was how much it all made sense. It all fitted seamlessly together, like the Lego Mina was sick to death of standing on. It all made perfect sense out of absolute nonsense, like the ridiculous drawback to his Quirk - Well, not his.

The thing about it all was... Mina had come to admire him all the more.

She looked over at Bakugou, and thought about him for a moment. She knew the kind of person he was. The best word to describe him would be volatile. No one really knew what might set him off next, though they knew it was hilariously easy to piss him off. Say something positive about Izuku, imply Bakugou was even slightly crazy or anti-social, or imply that someone else might be stronger, and that would normally be enough to set him off. If everything Izuku had told her about him was true, and it didn't seem unlikely, given his personality, then if she had been in Izuku's position that day, then she might have been honestly tempted to leave Bakugou to the mercy of that sludge Quirk holder. After all, bullied for most of her adolescence? She had no doubt she'd be at least a little bitter. Not to mention, Explosion was objectively a very powerful and impressive Quirk. Even amongst the people who had Quirks, some were jealous of Bakugou's. Izuku must have been... Words wouldn't even begin to describe the feelings he would have had in that not-so distant past. To Mina, life without a Quirk was just unthinkable. She couldn't even begin to imagine the resentment Izuku had felt.

Except... He hadn't actually had any. He'd always looked up to Bakugou, and when he needed help, he'd tried to save him. Quirkless Izuku had tried to save his childhood bully, though he had every reason in the freaking world to leave him. How that was even slightly... Mina would have called her boyfriend absolutely insane if she didn't know him better... And even then, she wasn't convinced he was totally sane.

No one she knew would be capable of constantly using a Quirk that would break their bodies. She didn't think she would be able to. Most people took steps to avoid the drawbacks to their Quirks, like logical, sensible individuals. Izuku on the other hand kept using his Quirk while his bones were already broken. Nothing else mattered in that situation, anyone who could willingly use an attack that they knew for absolute certain would break them was someone who deserved serious credit.

Again, she wasn't one hundred per-cent certain he wasn't just completely insane. But either way... She couldn't help but admire her awkward boyfriend all the more. When it was all said and done, Izuku was someone who proved selfless at every turning point he'd ever gotten himself into

Angling her head just a bit more, so she could see behind the classes resident violent maniac, she looked over at Izuku, as expected, buried into the textbooks, and writing in those notebooks he always carried around. He was so different to Mina, she couldn't point at any one thing that made them two of the most diametrically opposed people in the room.

He was book-smart, where she really wasn't suited to studying. Where he was awkward, she was open and social. He was shy where she was outgoing.

He originally had no Quirk. And her Quirk made her stand out so much.

Could they be more different? Was it even possible for them to share so few personality and genetic traits?

And somehow, they were dating, and he was constantly making Mina happier than she'd ever been. Her playfulness and her jokes, her teasing and her energy all reached tenfold whenever she was around her boyfriend, and it was like a dream come true to her, to be happy alongside someone who made her happy.

She hoped she made him happy too. At least, she liked to think that she did.

Rewinding back just a few seconds, she remembered her previous thought, regarding his intellect. That he was very book-smart. It was true, he was one of the smartest people in the entire class, probably up there rivalling someone like Yaoyarozu or Todoroki. He understood a lot of theory when it came to Heroism, and in particular the exact applications of actions that were supposed to be taken. He probably had a hell of a lot more understanding of Mathematics than Mina did as well.

Would he be willing to help her with her studies?

Well, of course he would. The real question on Mina's mind was if she wanted to bother him with such a request. Looking over at him, he was practically shoving his face into these revision books. He barley even seemed to be acknowledging what was happening around him, like he'd fallen into some kind of reading based dimension. When it came to his studies, he'd been routinely rigorous in what he'd done. Seconded really only to Yaoyarozu, he had sort of a reputation regarding his intellect thanks to his studying habits.

What concerned Mina was that her asking him for what amounted to private tutelage was that it would affect his own grades. There wasn't really a point in them both getting dragged down because of her. That would just be unfair.

It was a catch twenty-two, damned if she did, and damned if she didn't.

As she thought that, the final bell for the day suddenly rang throughout the entire school, to a chorus of sighs or cheers of relief, depending on the student, that the day was out. The students began to pack up their things and file out of the room, some far faster than others, eager to return home and take a nap or do something as a way to numb their brain cells after such a hard revision session.

Mina did the same thing, but as was now routine, she would wait outside the classroom door. She and Izuku now always caught the trains back home together, the idea being Mina's. Sometimes, it would cause her to be a bit later arriving home than she normally would, but she didn't particularly mind that too much. She enjoyed the trips back with him, since it gave them plenty of time to talk.

Normally, they'd walk back with Iida and Uraraka, since they all went to the same station before splitting off to catch different trains to one another, Izuku and Mina being the only two that stuck together afterwards.

Today was a bit different though. Today was a day where Iida had to stay behind a bit later than everyone else, to perform certain duties, since he was the class president. Mina had no clue whatsoever what those duties entailed, but now that she knew it would have required her to stay back for longer, she was sort of glad that she hadn't gotten the nomination.

So, it would have just been her, Izuku, and Uraraka.

Mina hummed a tune while she waited, trying to stay out of the way of her classmates as much as she could, offering waves and promises that they would see each other the next day, until she had seem most of them go.

One of the final people that she saw leaving the room, and making her way out was Uraraka. Though she clearly saw Mina, she just waved like she was saying goodbye for the day, and hurried her way down the corridor after everyone else, but she seemed to be moving a bit faster than the others. Almost like she was scurrying away.

"Hey, Uraraka!" Mina called out to her, without really thinking about it. "Where you going? Aren't you gonna walk back with me and Midori?"

When she was called out, Uraraka stopped instantly, like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck that was speeding towards her. Her eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment, and when she finally did turn around a few seconds later, she was wearing a smile that was so clearly fake, even Mina could see it.

"I-I'm really sorry, but something came up. Family stuff. I've got to go on ahead, catch a different train." She did sound genuinely apologetic... But something was off about her, how she was acting. Almost like she was avoiding the question altogether by deflecting it onto something else - So lying, basically.

This wasn't the first time either, Mina had noticed how their classmate had been acting a bit oddly for a while now. Not really like the Uraraka that everyone knew and was fond of. She wasn't even acting like what Mina liked to dub as 'battle-raka', where she'd be almost in some sort of combat induced trance. This was something else entirely.

It wasn't Mina's place to get involved, but still, she noticed these things... And she did worry about her friends. But she smiled and nodded back. "Alright, I'll let Midori know!"

And just like that, Uraraka was gone.

Mina passed the time by returning to humming her favourite song and tapping her foot to the beat that she could recite completely from muscle memory, and keeping an eye on the outside world by looking through the window of the floor she was on. From here, she could see the entire courtyard, and the entrance to the school. Right now, she saw all the students pouring out of the gates, heading home and various other places, some headed for part time jobs, or leisure activities to kill the time doing before returning home.

She remembered one of the first days that she had spent at the school. It had been the first week that classes had started, and it had been the session after Battle Practice. Everyone was getting ready to review the sessions, waiting on a certain someone who had captured the respect and attention of most people in the class.

It was weird to think back on that moment, when Izuku stepped back into the classroom after having been in recovery for the last hour, and when she had introduced herself with her usual friendly zeal, complimenting his dodging again and again, that she was greeting her future boyfriend.

When she looked out at the courtyard now, she remembered being with Uraraka and Asui, watching the exchange between Izuku and Bakugou. The 'fated battle between men' as Uraraka had described it. It had been a couple of tense moments, and to this day, Mina still had no idea what was said between the two of them. It was something she wanted to ask, but forgot fairly often to bring it up, and when she did remember, it never seemed like the right time to do so.

She remembered that she respected Izuku back then. It was difficult to find anyone who didn't. With such a flashy Quirk, and an awesome fight to show it off, he was already catching the attention of his classmates back then. But she'd never really been attracted to him. Physically, anyway. Then again, she wasn't particularly right now anyway. Yeah, he had some damn fine muscles on him, and he was a cute guy, but if she was going by something like looks alone, she'd probably point to Todoroki. Admiration was very different to romantic infatuation... Though she did suppose that admiration of him had led her to these days.

Thinking back, she never would have guessed that she'd have fallen in love with the other curly haired person in the class, the one who was shy and awkward, and quiet as a mouse. She'd never have guessed that Izuku was someone that she'd end up dating. She'd just never really considered it until it was happening to her. Not once.

Yet she was in love with him now. And it made her smile.

"Sorry that took a while..." As she thought about how they had wound up together, Izuku's voice finally came from the real world, while he was still half inside the classroom, stepping out of the doorframe. He was lightly scratching the side of his head and smiling lopsidedly, his voice apologetic for having taken up too much time.

It was only a few moments later that Izuku left the classroom, having done whatever it was that he had needed to do. Probably checking review notes or something along those lines, but whatever the reason, he was done now, and Mina and he were alone.

"Hey." She cheerfully greeted him with a huge grin on her face. She had been hurtled into a good mood by thinking about all of this stuff, and with that positive attitude, her peppy energy had been surged through her veins and into her system, leaving her as a giggling girl who was ridiculously in love.

Before Izuku had even fully left the classroom, Mina skipped up to him and, without any warming, threw her arms around his neck and gave him the biggest hug he'd never expected before in his life. She hadn't been considerate of her weight, or how much force she was using either, and the force from her tackling him almost shoved him right back into the room he was just leaving, only stopped by Izuku quickly grabbing hold of the doorframe and using that to keep him upright.

"W-Woah!" A noise of surprise shot from Izuku's mouth as Mina threw herself at him, tightly enwrapping her arms around his neck. Her head was rested on his shoulder, which left their cheeks rubbing together lightly. In spite of his shock, once he regained his balance, Izuku was happy to return the hug to her.

In spite of his awkwardness, even when they were alone, he did enjoy these affectionate moments they had. They were nice. Mina was an impulsive girl, so he never knew when to expect them... But the more he was able to grow more and more comfortable with her, the more he found himself not minding not knowing when the next display of affection was going to arrive. He was getting used to his girlfriend and all her traits, no matter how awkward she made him feel at times.

When she eventually let go of him, smile still spread across her lips, he asked, "What was that for?"

"Just remembered the first few times we met is all." She responded, twirling around to start making her way down the corridor, but not before slipping her hand into Izuku's. "Uraraka went on ahead. Something about family issues she needed to deal with."

Going slightly red at her swift motions, Izuku nodded his understanding, and the two of them made their way through the corridors of the school, quickly making their way outside the building altogether. A warm day thanks to the sun's rays greeted them, blasting their skin with heat. Their heat-absorbing grey jackets doing nothing to keep them both cool, they both let go of one another's hands, undid their jackets and tied them around their waists before re-intertwining their fingers again.

"Gahhh... I hope it's cooler on the trains... They've got air conditioning, right?" Mina asked, looking over to Izuku, praying that he nodded. Being cooked alive inside a metallic train was certainly not going to be a fun experience. She visually sighed in relief when he did so, confirming that their method of transportation did indeed have a way of keeping the, cool and not melting alive while they travelled. "Oh thank God. Hopefully Micha knows how to work the AC back home. Mom and Dad are out all day, and I don't even know where the damn boiler is in my house."

"What're your parents doing?" Izuku asked with a curious tone.

"Dinner or something. Didn't tell me anything, just that they were going out, and left some food for us all in the fridge..." She smirked at her own joke before she'd even told it. "So essentially they left us with poison for our meal, while they're living it up in some fancy restaurant. So that'll be fun. Studying on either an empty stomach, or one that's filled with what may as well be liquid mercury."

"Speaking of studying... How're yours going?" The curly haired boy asked, showing genuine interest in her progress. He'd taken note of her actually attempting to study during the session in class today, before giving up and staring into space for the remainder of the lesson.

Mina blinked for a second when she realised that she had brought up studying accidentally. It had honestly been a slip of the tongue, a complete mistake when she had said it. She hadn't even thought about it, but since she was speaking with honesty, she hadn't even noticed herself until Izuku had brought it up.

Scratching the back of her head with her other hand, Mina chuckled awkwardly. "Eh heh heh... It's not exactly... Going... Great... I mean, I get pretty much all of the basic rules and ideas and all of that for Ethics and Heroism, but I just... I dunno. Doesn't seem to click with me. Don't even ask about Maths, I'm failing that one no matter what I do."

While she tried to play to play it off as a joke, that it was amusing in some way, she didn't seem to be getting the desired results from Izuku. He wasn't really smiling or anything else that even slightly indicated humour of any kind. He looked… Worried, more than anything.

That was nice, Mina supposed. She was truly grateful that he seemed to have such genuine concern for her… But she didn't want him to worry about this sort of thing when it came to her. She was the kind of person who would just wing it at the last moment and get a scraping pass, or she'd fail miserably. In the long run, it wouldn't make too much of a difference either way. Mina would have preferred Izuku to worry about his own grades, since she knew that his intellectual abilities were the ones he was more proud of, and ones that he had constantly refined and developed over the course of his life. If he took a hit to his grades, that would definitely show. It'd probably be a shot right in his already fragile levels of self-confidence.

"Really though, it's not a big deal, Midori, don't worry about it!" She waved her hand rapidly to the sides as if she were trying to sweep away the very issue itself from the air, to make room for more important, more interesting and jovial topics that needed to be discussed.

"You know, I could… H-Help you with studying, I-if you wanted." Izuku offered with a shake to his voice. He'd been handling himself fairly well when it came to his stammering lately, although now that he was blushing it came back like a falling brick. In spite of his voice betraying how serious he was in that situation, he was able to meet her gaze, and he didn't turn away.

The pink girl felt her chest tighten, and she needed a second to confirm in her head that she'd actually heard what she thought she had. "You really don't have to, y'know Izuku. I could probably figure it out on my own after a while... Besides, you should focus on your own grades. I don't want you to fail 'cause of me."

"I-It's fine! I've already done a load of studying a-anyway. I-If you need the help, I-I'm more than happy to."

Asking to receive help, and being offered help were two different subjects in Mina's mind. If she asked for help, then she ran the risk of inconveniencing Izuku's work plans and getting in his way. But being offered said help was a different matter. If he was offering, then it meant he had enough time, and was confident enough to support her in this.

The truth was, Mina would have been incredibly grateful for pretty much any help that she would be able to get right about now, and if it was anyone else offering, she'd jump at the opportunity to get half of this stuff explained to her. The only reason she was hesitant to accept from Izuku was because she didn't want him to fail because he'd lost time studying.

At the same time, if she failed, that wasn't going to do her much good either. If she kept failing so much that she flunked out, not only would her father give her hell on earth to pay, but there was a risk of Mina just getting dropped from the course altogether. It wouldn't honestly surprise her when it came to someone like Aizawa-sensei. For someone who claimed to act on logic and rational all the time, he was very unpredictable and erratic at times.

And if she thought about it like that...

"...A-Are you sure you don't mind?" She asked, still hesitating when she asked.

Izuku nodded and gave her a smile that was still shaky, but he didn't hesitate for a second with his response. "Y-yeah, of course I am! I-It's no trouble, really!"

Mina replied by tightening her grip around Izuku's hand, and resting her head against his shoulder. "Thanks."

* * *

Both of them wound up deciding to study at Izuku's house, since it would be a far calmer atmosphere than the one of total energy that the Ashido household tended to reside under pretty much all the time. There were less people there, according to Izuku, only his mother and himself, which meant that it was far less likely for them to have to deal with any sorts of distractions.

This led to a fairly relaxed train journey ride back to the usual station that they both got off of when Mina had to switch trains to catch the one that would take her to her station. Instead of rushing to the platform where she would be able to catch her train home, she followed Izuku up and out of the subway, and found herself in an area of Tokyo she barely even recognised. The area seemed a lot calmer, yet still had the towering skyscrapers that littered the Japanese city landscape, managing to be busy and calm at the same time somehow, like walking through the city at night.

At one point, they passed a building that Izuku pointed out as his old middle school. A public one, nothing fancy whatsoever. It even looked a little run down. Still, Izuku looked at the building with a mixture of emotions that Mina couldn't even begin to try and figure out. He looked almost pained to a certain degree... Though Mina had a feeling she knew why.

"It... Must have been hard." She quietly said, "Growing up Quirkless in a school like that."

Looking down at the slightly shorter girl with a look that now barely even conveyed any emotion, he locked eyes with her for just a brief moment, before he looked back at the school itself. He was remembering all the bullying throughout his life. It felt impossible not to remember all of it now that he was back here, like the memories were just barging in uninvited. Those hard times were in the past... But they still affected him to this day. Part of him thought that they always might.

"...Yeah." He confirmed, with a sad nod of his head.

"Come on, let's keep going." Mina encouraged him with a slight tug of his hand and a small smile.

Her gesture was appreciated, and Izuku nodded in agreement with her, and began leading her by the hand through his neighbourhood, away from the hell that had been his old middle school.

From there, it hadn't taken them too long to reach the area where Izuku said he lived. Unlike Mina, who lived in an actual house with her family, Izuku resided in an apartment floor in a complex. Even the building itself in which he lived was flanked on either side by two other tall buildings that also served as complexes that a large number of people lived in. Considering that Izuku and his mother lived alone, it made sense. No point spending a ton of cash on a house when it was just going to be empty all the time.

They traversed up several tens of staircases, and found themselves fairly high up when looking over the edge of the railing and down below. Izuku was used to the height, so he didn't think twice about it, but Mina felt some very mild vertigo looking down now.

After a short walk, they finally reached the front door to the floor.

"U-Uh... J-Just let me uh..." Izuku stammered suddenly, rapidly trying to find the words that he was going to need to explain this particular situation. "B-Before we go in, uh... H-Heads up, my mother's kind of..."

With an eyebrow raised, Mina encouraged him to continue. "Kind of?..."

"...Like me?"

"...That's not exactly a lot to go off, Izuku."

"You'll see... Just... Be ready for that."

The green haired boy gulped, before reaching out and lowering the door handle, opening the door to his home. He held the door open for Mina by stepping to the side and blocking the door from falling back into its frame, and politely gesturing for her to enter his home. Though still giving him a quizzical look after his warning, Mina nodded, and took a step into Izuku's home.

Once inside, and the pair of them had taken their shoes off and enter the apartment proper, Mina made sure to have a glance around the place. Before they reached the first room at the end of the corridor, they walked past a set of two doors, one of them with no label, and the one directly across it, was Izuku's. The sign on it that had his name printed on it, the sign itself being some sort of All Might merchandise gave it away practically instantly. He hadn't kept it a secret that he was a huge admirer of the world's number on Hero, so Mina had expected him to have some stuff like that.

Once they were in the main room of the apartment, which was basically the kitchen- living space-dining area all merged into one multi-functional room, Mina saw a middle aged woman standing over a switched-on stove, presumably boiling water for some sort of meal she would cook later in the day. Obviously Izuku's mother. Even if Izuku hadn't mentioned that the only other person he lived with was his mother, she would have figured it out anyway. The green hair was a giveaway sign in that regard.

"Hey Mom, I-I'm back." Izuku greeted with a nervous shiver running down his spine.

Having heard her son enter the building, his mother didn't seem too surprised by his voice suddenly cutting the silence of the living space. She glanced up to look at him, giving him a welcoming smile. "Welcome back, Izuku! Did you -" That was the moment her eyes registered Mina standing a couple of inches behind Izuku.

The older woman just froze in place like she'd seen some sort of ghost or spirit when she looked at the pink girl. Her smile dropped and she seemed to stop even holding onto any utensils that she had in her hands, and her jaw just dropped entirely as well.

It was an awkward few seconds before Izuku broke the silence again.

"U-Uh, Mom, th-this is M-Mina. I-I've told you about her, r-right?" Any anxiety that the inheritor to One For All had seemed to multiply with every second that passed without his mother responding in any way whatsoever. "I-I - She needed some h-help studying, s-so I offered to he-help her out."

Cheerfully, Mina waved at the frozen woman. "Nice to meet'cha, Mrs. Midoriya!"

"My little boy's finally brought a girl home..." A quiet whisper said. After that, Izuku's mother promptly burst into what could only be described as an abnormally ridiculous level of happy tears, to the point where they seemed to resemble a waterfall in a certain way, and threatened to make the pan on the stove overflow with liquid. She seemed to be holding in some sort of squeal or burst of excitement or something, whatever it was, that her son had brought home someone he'd apparently spoken about.

Quickly, Mina realised how this woman was like her boyfriend. Awkward, and prone to comically large emotional outbursts at things other people might had considered to be minor things. Izuku's warning made a huge deal more sense now.

After discarding aside a hilariously large number of tissues and handkerchiefs that Izuku handed her at a rapid rate, the older woman firmly grasped hold of Mina's hands and began to shake them like it was going to make her heart monitor start working again. "Ashido Mina, isn't it? My name is Inko! Izuku's said so much about you!" She was still speaking through a cracking voice, glazed eyes and a warm, motherly smile. The same sort of pride that Mina's own parents had used to tease her with when Izuku had finally left that night was reducing this woman to absolute tears. "Oh, oh, it's so lovely to finally get to meet you!"

Mina couldn't help but laugh at the older woman's sudden enthusiasm, not too sure what she was supposed to say in response. She wanted to be polite so as not to offend the older woman, but it felt like she was about to dislocate Mina's arms with this amount of force going into each shake.

When she finally let go, she seemed to be tearing up again, prompting Izuku to get a handful of tissues ready to use like some kind of poorly constructed shield, in case she burst into tears again.

"U-Um, l-like I said, I'm helping Mina study, s-so..."

"O-Oh, of course!" Inko smiled widely at her son and his girlfriend. "I'll have dinner ready in a couple of hours. We're having Kattsudon! Ashido-san, you're more than welcome to eat with us for that!"

"It's just Mina." The Acid Quirk user said with a smile. "And that sounds awesome."

* * *

Given the drive that Izuku had when it came to becoming a Hero, Mina had always suspected that he was a huge fan of comics and manga and the likes that related even slightly to the profession of Heroism. This had been confirmed on their first date, when they had gone shopping through that bookstore, and they had selected their chosen literature, Izuku's being Hero related comics.

As it turned out, she wasn't giving Izuku nearly enough credit.

To call him a fan of Heroes was the understatement of the year, and she'd called Mika insane. Posters, comics, DVD'S and action figures, and a large percentage of those were directed towards All Might, were pretty much all over the neatly organised room. That wasn't to say All Might was the only Hero plastered around the place, but it was very clear who Izuku's favour lied with.

And yet, at the same time there were some pieces of physical training equipment that was organised on the floor. Dumbbells, grip boosters and a lifting bag, all pushed into one corner in which the largest piece of equipment was placed to the wall, and the smallest piece being in front of it.

The room almost looked like two people shared it, but it was just Izuku in here. Mina jokingly came up with 'the legendary Otaku Weight-lighting Hero' as his official alias in her head.

"I knew you were a nerd, but damn, Izuku." She smirked while she looked around the room. "And I thought Mika was obsessed. You really know how to turn it up to eleven, huh?"

If blushing made a sound, Mina was certain she heard it. Incidentally, it sounded like bacon frying in a pan. "I-it - A-A lot o-of this stuff is f-from when I was a kid!"

Wandering into the room, and looking at an All Might action figure that he kept on his desk, Mina allowed her grin to widen. "Dude, I'm pretty sure this came out like, last month."

"What - How -"

"Did you even see my sister's room?" Mina looked over towards his crimson face and laughed and his embarrassment. "It's All Might's Silver Age costume, the new model that came out after the media told everyone he was teaching at Yuuei." Her looked fell despondent though after she had finished laughing. "Kinda makes me wonder though, why d'you even keep buying this stuff? I mean, the guy teaches us and you got his freakin' Quirk -"

"Sssssh!" Izuku frantically hissed. "My mom doesn't know about that!"

"You didn't even tell your mother about that?"

"A-All Might asked me not to..."

It made sense, Mina thought to herself. She had another look around the room, seeing what else she could spy out. It was a basic bedroom, but it did speak volumes of his personality. The one thing that stood out to Mina about the entire room at that point was the weights, which didn't even seem like something Izuku would have bought, unless it had something to do with his Quirk...

Squatting down, Mina reached down and attempted to pick one of them up, to test how heavy it was. While she was able to stand up with the piles of metal in her hand, that was all she could accomplish. Unlike Izuku, she hadn't toned her entire body for feats of physical strength. She had well-toned thighs, but that hadn't exactly been something she'd done as a conscious effort. It had just sort of happened.

This thing though - It weighed a ton! Just keeping it by her side felt like it was straining her arm, and her legs were starting to give out the longer she kept hold of it. "G-Good grief, Izuku, h-how freaking heavy is this thing?!"

"Gaah!" Izuku quickly ran over to the pink girl and retrieved the dumbbell before Mina wound up dropping it. Unlike her, he had no real issues with holding onto it, on account of the muscular frame that he had. Bending down to place it back where it was, he answered her question. "I-its thirty-five kilograms."

"Damn, you can lift." Mina whistled in her impressment. "Is it to do with your Quirk?"

"Y-Yeah... I have to keep refining my body, or my Quirk could end up blowing my limbs off."

"Talk about motivation to keep up a workout regime." The girl said with a slight chuckle, though in reality, that news was freaking her out. It took her a moment to realize and fully process that she was actually concerned. "W-Wait a second, how dangerous is that Quirk?!"

"Well... I-It's not mine... So my body isn't totally used to it yet... So it's dangerous to use it at full power... I could end up killing someone... Or breaking my bones." He explained. "That's why when I first started at Yuuei, I kept trying to avoid using it."

"Yeah, I figured that all out when you told me you inherited it. I mean, can this thing kill you?"

"...If my body becomes weak enough, it could end badly for me. I explained how One For All works, didn't I?"

He had, Mina recalled. From what she understood, it acted like a crystalline of power between nine different generations, each one adding on their own physical prowess to the Quirk before passing it on to the next one. Essentially, it gave Izuku the strength of eight very physically capable fighters that he could call upon to deal damage onto his opponents with. Kind of like an Olympic torch, which was also how All Might was still using the Quirk despite having passed it on to Izuku.

"I'm still amazed by how much sense that all makes." Mina admitted with a happy sigh. There was a certain level of joy that Izuku was the one who had been given this incredible Quirk. Without it, they might not have ever met, which would have been awful. It might be a deadly, dangerous Quirk... But it was one that Izuku was capable of handling, she had absolute faith in that. And that aside, knowing that he had made an exception in his promise to All Might to tell her... Made her feel special. "And you've only told me about it?"

"I uh... I told Kacchan once." The Acid girl froze. "I told him that the Quirk wasn't mine... But I didn't say it was All Might. He... Didn't believe me though... In fact, I'm pretty sure I just made him angry."

"Hang on a second, was that the fated battle between men?!"

"H-Huh?!"

"That talk you had with him after the first battle assignment! By the gate! When we first met!"

"Y-You were watching that?!"

"Me, Uraraka and Asui! We all saw it! We really thought that -" She shook her head rapidly. "Forget that - Why Bakugou of everyone?!" This was one aspect that Mina couldn't even begin to comprehend. From what Izuku had told her, Bakugou had made his an absolute hell throughout their middle school lives once his Quirk had developed. The things she'd heard he'd done, Mina had developed a minor animosity towards the Explosion Quirk user for what he'd done to her boyfriend, but Izuku didn't seem to care. How Izuku even tolerated him these days was a mystery in itself, but why on earth did he feel the need to explain how he had gotten his Quirk? He didn't owe Bakugou a damn thing! If there was one person that Izuku would have wanted to flaunt his newfound Quirk to, surely it would have been Bakugou!

Looking to the ground and sighing, Izuku stayed silent for a few moments before he answered, "...I admire Kacchan. He's strong, and determined, he doesn't give in, and his Quirk is incredible. When we were kids, we used to be really good friends. We used to want to be Heroes together... I don't really know... Why he became like he did... But he isn't a bad person. He was just really confident when we were kids. Now... He says he's going to do something, and he does it. He got into Yuuei. And... I don't know." Izuku looked back up at his girlfriend with a weak smile. "I guess I just... Didn't want him to think I'd been lying to him about not having a Quirk. He accused me of that. I don't really like fighting with him. I want to surpass him, sure, but... Eh heh, I'm not really sure how to explain it."

"...Yeah, you're weird." Mina agreed with a weak smile right back. She didn't really get it, but... She closed the gap between the two of them, and rested her head comfortably against his chest, careful that her horns didn't tear up his clothing. "But you're my quirky boyfriend, Izuku. You know what you mean. I'm gonna trust you know what you're doing."

In an attempt to return the gesture, Izuku attempted to hug Mina, but couldn't. It was in this moment that they both realised, they'd entered the room, and not actually proceeded to even begin to prepare for the studying they had to do. They hadn't even taken their bags off yet.

They both shared an odd laugh, since neither of them had noticed, or even knew why they were laughing. It wasn't a particularly funny occurrence. Politely, Izuku told her to make herself at home, and offered her the seat that was tucked underneath his desk, while he perched himself on the edge of his bed.

* * *

 **Alright, fine you glorious bastards, I get the message. Since a huge amount of stress just got relieved from my routine lately, I'm prepared to say that MinaDeku won't be ending quite yet. I'll be keeping it going for a few chapters more. I'll come up with a few more out there scenarios, keep this story a bit unpredictable – Let's see if the Superpowers called Traits I use in my own original works are any good as Quirks. I've got a couple ideas for that : ) I'll keep this story going until it becomes literally painful for me to write. After all, once we reach that point, then I think we'll have a really awesome story written.**

 **Though I still do encourage people who like this pairing to give writing their own story a shot. Speaking of which, the first chapter of my new Minadeku story is out – The First Generation. The first chapter is 14,000 words long, and the premise is if the main cast of My Hero Academia had the very first generation of Quirks, and became the first generation of Heroes. Be sure to check it out if you want more MinaDeku from me ^_^**

 **This was a bit more of a longer send off. Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll be seeing you!**


	13. Izu-Kun

"Your mom really is super nice." Mina commented with a smile as the two of them re-entered Izuku's room after they had eaten the dinner his mother had made for them all. "Plus, she's gotta be ten thousand times better than mine at cooking."

Izuku couldn't help but let out a small laugh which he had attempted to hold back. He'd just spent the last fifteen minutes watching Mina shoveling food into her mouth like it was all about to be stolen from her. She acted like she hadn't eaten properly in weeks, which knowing her detest for her own mothers cooking, could well have been the case.

He sat back onto his bed in the position that he'd been in for the last few hours, with his back leaned to the wall, and surrounded by the various books they'd been using to study. Stretching his arms until he heard a click, Izuku took a deep inhale and smiled. "I'd guessed you'd enjoyed it. You seemed pretty hungry."

"I only really eat at the school or takeouts for the time being. Seriously, what you had was actually fairly good compared to some of the other stuff my mother's done." Shrugged Mina, rubbing one of her eyes sleepily.

"That - That sounds really expensive. H-Hasn't anyone in your family told her?.. Or can't anyone else in your family cook?"

"You think Micha's worth a damn in a kitchen?" The pink girl grinned. "Best I can make is soup, and the other two are way too young for us to even let them try. Dad tried once. He managed to make chicken taste like potatoes."

"So no then."

"Absolutely not." Stretching now herself, Mina yawned for a few seconds. "Don't worry 'bout it Izuku. Mom'll get over it eventually. She'll do new things, either do them really well or fail miserably, and go back to normal after a couple of months at most. Just unlucky for us she tried this new thing with her cooking."

"What did she even try?"

"I don't know, something to do with low carbs and a ton of herbs. I think I saw her using a blender with sprouts at some point. I really have no idea how she makes it so bad. Your mom is just a really freakin' amazing cook though!"

Smiling sheepishly and with a tint of red on them, Izuku scratched his right cheek. "I think she likes you. She's been wanting to meet you since I told her about you."

"Yeah, speaking of which," Mina turned and grinned at Izuku. "Is there anything that you didn't tell her about us? Aside from the obvious." Seeing the blush in his face grow darker, she kept teasing him with the information she had just received. "Seriously, do you just come back here and tell your mother about every time I've exhaled or something?"

It wasn't so much that Izuku had apparently gone into specifics like that, at all. What he had done, according to Inko, was tell her pretty much everything that the two of them did together, like dates or just regular days at Yuuei. Mentions of things about her family, right down to their Quirks, and how they acted with one another, and various other things. He didn't explain everything, just a brief overview whenever she asked him. Obviously he didn't include things that were completely taboo, like his Quirk and the fight they had been in with Overgrow, but everything else, his mother seemed to know about. It amused Mina that he was so embarrassed about this - She did pretty much the same thing with Micha, after all.

Now attempting to hide his flustered state by covering his face with his arms, Izuku stammered up a storm of explanations. "I - I was - I just - M-my m-mom, she, she - I don't -"

Giggling at her boyfriend's stuttering and inability to speak, the Acid Quirk user struggled to stay upright properly as she laughed, having to use the wall nearest to her to keep her upright. It never failed to give her a good laugh. She honestly would never get tired of Izuku's flustered embarrassment of himself. Perhaps it was a bit cruel, but it was so cute that Mina struggled to catch herself in the act, and she was already teasing him before she even knew what she was doing.

"Chill, Izuku, chill!" She managed to say through her own giggles. "Its - It's fine, man, it's cool, I - I just -" Another fit of hysterics caught Mina, making her burst into a fresh fit of laughter. "Y-You have no idea how freaking hilarious and adorable you are when you're flustered like this!"

"That - That's why you keep doing this?!"

A fresh round of laughter was the answer Izuku got, only further adding onto his already crimson face. Underneath that though, he did smile, for a number of reasons. One of those reasons was fairly simple, and that was that, through awkwardness or not, he was glad he could make Mina laugh like this. It made him feel good about himself, even if there was no real input on his part, even if it was just his embarrassed flailing.

Another one of those reasons was the fact that even though it made his cheeks burn, it felt kind of good. Whenever he was thrown into this state of red skin and inability to formulate words or coherent sentences, when it was because of Mina, his heart would flutter, kind of like it was being tickled. It was weird to describe it as such, but it was true, or as close to the truth as Izuku would be able to describe it.

The final reason, and the one that Izuku liked the most, was an even more simple reason - He loved her smile.

When he thought back on it, that smile was probably the one thing about Mina he loved the most. Wide and large, her grins and smiles were beautiful, they really were. It was in those moments that Mina's character really came out. That fun loving, social, energetic girl that contrasted Izuku in every possible way. He just loved how she smiled. He couldn't really define why.

"A-Anyway." He said through his stammer, the smile still there. "Sh-Should we keep going?" He held up one of the textbooks on Maths for Mina to see. "You were getting there before dinner. I want to make sure you've got it."

"A'ight." Mina chimed.

She didn't sit down in the seat she had previous been sat in though. Instead of doing that, she is spun right around on her heels and sat down exactly where Izuku was - Which translated to her sitting on his lap. Izuku hadn't been expecting it in the slightest, at no point had this occurrence even crossed his mind as being a possibility, and as such, he was drastically underprepared for the sudden weight of his girlfriend landing on him without warning.

What this led to was Mina sliding right through the split between Izuku's legs, lowering her height positioning dramatically. She wound up going further down until she found her head located on his chest, just under his chin. She was slightly leaning more laying down than she was sitting up, but she found herself in a rather comfortable position. As she nestled into her newfound seat, making sure her horns weren't going to catch his chin, she also threw her feet over Izuku's ankles, essentially locking him into place with her.

Mina just grinned. "Square Roots we were at, yeah?"

Unable to form words, Izuku just made some inaudible motions with his mouth. This was... This was dangerous. Every instinct he had screeched at him to try and get out of this situation, but any effort he would have made would only be countered by Mina's weight and how she'd managed to lock herself in place like this. How the hell was she even so calm about this?!

"M-Mina!"

"Hmm? 'Sup?"

"What - Wha - What're you d-doing?!"

"Sitting down. Why, you uncomfortable?" She asked with a sly smile, tilting her head carefully to look up at him. Every move she was making was deliberate at this point, and she wasn't even trying to hide it. "Oh, don't be so embarrassed. We've done more intimate things than this. We've kissed, haven't we?"

"Y-You've kissed me..."

"I ask again, you uncomfortable?"

"N-Not really..."

He wouldn't lie, this was really nice, but his fluttering heart had turned into a jackhammer, pounding away at his chest. At this point, his heart attacked his chest so much he was pretty sure one of these days he'd break a rib from his heart going this crazy. The hell with One For All, Ashido Mina was going to be the reason his bones broke now.

With that answer, Mina snuggled into her position, making herself comfortable. "There a problem then?" Asked the girl with a wide, victorious smirk

"Y-You're enjoying this."

"Big time."

Resigning himself to this predicament, Izuku tried relaxing his tense muscles, making more akin to a pillow than a concrete paving slab, which let Mina sort of sink further into him, in a manner of speaking. He knew he wasn't going to get out of this, short of pushing Mina right off of him, so instead he decided that he should just attempt to enjoy it while it lasted.

Holding the book just above her head so he could see it clearly, he read aloud, trying not to let his voice get caught in his already lumpy throat. "L-Let's see... Calculation the square root... This shouldn't be too difficult to understand... I-In order to find the Square root, y-you need to -"

"Okay, hang on." Mina said, peering up at the book with one of her black eyes narrowing, and her other one widening. "What're you doing, exactly?"

"Um... Reading out how to do mathematic summations and calculations?"

"I can't see the book!"

"You barely read it anyway!"

"Stop using specifics and observations." Mina giggled to herself. Reaching up, she placed a hand around each one of Izuku's, sweaty and shaky as they might have been, they were also warm and sort to the touch. She wrapped hers over him, and lowered both of them.

Luckily for what Mina had in mind, when she had slid down, her skirt had rolled up just a bit, sliding between her legs which would defend her modesty from anyone should they open the door, but from a more practical standpoint for this very moment, it exposed more of her toned thighs.

Bringing both her and his hands down, Mina made sure her hands were atop his, before lowering them both onto her pink skin. Her hands on top of his, so he wouldn't be able to just freely rocket his hands off like he was holding the pin of a grenade. She,' honestly expected it, but he barely even seemed to move. His palms weren't on her skin, but rather his knuckles were, but it was more than enough to get a reaction out of Izuku. The book was now in a readable location for Mina to see, not that she was gonna read a damned word of it.

"That's better!" She said in a sing-song voice, not even needing to look at Izuku to know she was making him blush like she wanted him to.

If Izuku went any more red, he was going to leave the spectrum visible to the human eye, and just turn into a pure white sheet. He had stopped sweating though, his glands having gone into overload and shutting down before he dehydrated himself into a dry husk of a person. Nor was he shaking, for the same reason, excusing his blood scarlet-red face, one could be forgiven for thinking that he was reasonably calm. Internally, he was screaming.

Mina was just trying to see what she could get away with now, wasn't she? Just seeing how far she'd be able to push Izuku before he'd snap and died of embarrassment, or All For One'd so hard he'd catapult off into the sky like a trebuchet had slung him at full force. She was messing with him, and she was enjoying herself a bit too much. Like she was testing the limits of what Izuku was prepared to accept, and at what point he's put his foot down and refuse.

That or she was just doing this to avoid work. One or the other.

Regardless, Izuku was sort of tempted to allow her to keep going, to see how far she was willing to go to try to break him, to play this little game she seemed to be going for. He had a reasonable tolerance to this sort of thing, he'd dealt with embarrassment his entire life. Being Quirkless did that to a person.

It wasn't until he realised that he had stopped breathing that he remembered that this wasn't like the embarrassment of humiliation. Being in love like this wasn't the same thing. That was why he decided against letting her see how far she was willing to take this - Mostly for his own blood pressure's sake.

He didn't move his hands though.

"R-Right!" He said through a loud whisper. "Okay! This is - Yep, okay!" Were his fingers not on Mina's thighs, they would have curled up tightly until he started bleeding from the nails as a method of handling his anxiety.

"You sound nervous." His girlfriend said in a flirty tone. "Want me to kiss you, make you feel better?"

Her skin was warm, and Izuku could smell her trademark fragrance - There was no way that was shampoo if he was noticing it this frequently - Only with a hint more strawberry - _That_ was the shampoo - thrown into the mix. She was close and she was warm and she was doing everything she could to mess with him, and it was working. He knew she was doing this all on purpose, and it was still working.

"This is a hell of a lot more fun than studying, y'know."

"I-I-Is it now?"

"Aw c'mon, don't tell me you're not at least slightly enjoying this, Izu-kun."

"I-Izu-kun?!"

"That's my new nickname for you now. I'm'a call you that in public, so get ready for that."

"What - What the heck happened to 'Midori'?!"

"I'm still gonna use that. Midori Izu-kun. Keep you on your toes."

"Do you - Do you just spend time trying to find ways to m-make me blush?"

"What gave it away?" Her smile just stayed the same all the while, never feigning, never wavering, not once. "You want that kiss or noooooope?"

He really was a hopeless boy, and Izuku realised this just as much as Mina did. He was totally aware, at all times, when she was trying to get a reaction out of him, and she'd do it in whatever ways she could. She'd make his heart stampede and erratic when she wanted to, almost like at the flick of a switch. Part of it was that it really wasn't difficult to make him blush.

Another part was that Izuku also knew when her flirting was also acting as a sort of cover. Mina flirted a lot, and she knew just how to make his heart race... But it was things that she did, the way she said certain things, that gave away her real affection for him. How tender she spoke, and how careful she moved her horns. How she would make herself comfortable around him, and that smile, which she was using as a weapon now, she knew he adored.

And right now, her lips were only a few inches away, soft as they had been before, and still able to send a charge through Izuku like a lightning bolt.

"I... A-Are you going to... Get back to studying if we do?..." He timidly asked, trying to hide his pleasure. Without knowing it, he had lowered his head lightly, helping to close the gap between them.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Probably." The pink girl smiled and closed her eyes, tilting her head upwards and leaning in, pressing her coloured lips against his own still ones.

There wasn't ever really a way for Izuku to describe how it felt to be kissed by someone he genuinely had strong feelings for. Exciting was the best he could come up with, for lack of a better word. It tasted sweet to feel her lips against his, almost like she'd been chewing bubble-gum despite them having finished dinner not long ago. The act made him feel special in a certain way, like he never had felt beforehand. It didn't matter how many times Mina kissed him. It always felt like electricity.

With their lips against one another's, Izuku could feel Mina's curl up into a smile. Her lips remained against his for longer than usual too, and she made a hum of enjoyment noise with her throat. Briefly she ended the kiss, before returning into another one. She was enjoying this just as much as Izuku was.

When she finally separated from the second one, she just returned to her previous position, only now she took Izuku's left hand, that was fairly limp since he was still recovering from what had happened about five seconds ago, and then wrapped it around her waist, using his arm as a small blanket. His hand was warm, she noted, which she greatly appreciated.

"Read the book to me, please?" She asked nicely, sounding a lot more relaxed and content than she was five minutes prior. She almost seemed sleepy.

After a few seconds, Izuku nodded, agreeing to do so. "Just don't fall asleep, okay?"

"No promises. Maths is kinda boring... And you're really warm."

Sighing with a touch of humour, Izuku used his right hand to level the book so he could see and read from it comfortably. His hand was still on Mina's thigh, and he knew if he moved it, she'd just grab it and put it back. Plus, it was kind of hard to pull it away from her...

"Your kisses taste nice, by the way." She commented slyly, which nearly made Izuku drop the book altogether.

* * *

She was asleep within ten minutes, like Izuku knew she would be, without question. Why he was surprised, he honestly didn't know at this point. He'd gone over Square Roots, Area Surface, and was about to go over advanced Division before he could tell that his girlfriend had dozed off.

Her head had slopped over to the side, and she hadn't made any of her regular comments. A couple of times, he'd had to repeat himself before Mina would respond groggily. He'd ask if she wanted to have a drink, or if she wanted him to talk her to the train station and back home so she could go to sleep, but she'd insisted she was okay.

And now she was asleep.

The green haired boy had to sigh, and wonder what the hell he was supposed to do now. He supposed the most logical thing to do would be to just wake her up and take her home... But that was out of the question. She was so peacefully sleeping right now... He didn't want to wake her.

Then again, he also didn't feel like being accused of kidnapping her. Her family was probably already wondering where the hell she was, and the last thing he wanted was for someone to point out that Mina had been with him before she just disappeared for the night.

Looking around for something to help him get out of this situation, he saw Mina's bag, sitting not out of arms reach of him. He hissed audibly, really not liking where his thought process was taking him.

He could go into her bag and find her phone, let her family know the situation, ask them what they wanted him to do. That was one of the options that was available to him. He could even just grab one of their numbers and text them from his phone... If he had it on him. But no, that option was out of the question.

Unless he wanted to wake up Mina. Which he really didn't want to. He was in a case of damned if he did, and damned if he didn't.

Was Mina going to be the sort of person who would care about that sort of thing? Which would she prefer he do? What was more ethical?

Izuku sat there for a good five minutes thinking up the pros and cons to each one of his plans, and what he felt would be the better thing to do. He sat completely conflicted, debating what it was that he should do.

His internal debate was ended when he heard Mina's phone make a ringing noise, once, indicating that she had received a text message. For a second, he froze, thinking that he'd just been caught in the middle of doing something he shouldn't be by the watching eyes of some jerk deity. Mina made some sort of movement, but was still sleeping. When his heart rate returned, Izuku reached over for the bag, and dragged it over towards him.

 _'If it's not her family, ignore it. If it is her family, just explain. Avoid everything else._ ' Izuku repeated to himself, over and over. He reached inside the heavily decorated bag, finding the phone easily, thanks to the light it was emitting. He held it lightly, like it was a fragile relic from a time long past. Like it was a precious object to be cherished.

That was how he discovered that the phone had a password. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised. He didn't know what he was expecting. They went to a high class school filled with students and classmates they hadn't known for more than a few months, anyone who didn't give their phone a password was asking for trouble.

Four digits. Thinking, Izuku tried to come up with something that might tell him what the password was. A four number digit that Mina would remember of hold close.

Blinking twice, he thought of a couple that might work. If they didn't, he'd give it up, because he couldn't think of anything else. He tried a couple, but didn't get anything. An idea came into his head which he initially dismissed, but seeing that he wasn't working with a whole lot of other options, he decided to give it a try.

3-3-5-8.

It unlocked. Izuku blushed.

Her password was 'Deku'.

Her home screen unlocked, showing her screensaver. It was a photo of her and all the girls in their class, posed in one giant photo alongside her. He recognised the photo fairly well - He was the one who had taken it, after all. She'd asked him to in passing. This had been before they had officially started dating, during their week of awkwardness around one another. Thinking back on it now, it seemed like it was a way to get to talking to him. Either way, it worked, since that had been their least awkward day that week.

He shuddered at what it was he was doing right now, the moral quagmire of it still messing with his head. As he went through the device, trying to not look at anything other than her message board, right at the top. He was peering through narrowly closed fingers, trying desperately to not see anything else.

The top message, with an orange notification next to it, was from her brother, Micha. Hesitatingly, Izuku pressed on the screen to access it. ' _Mina, where the hell are you?_ ' That was all that her brother asked.

Very quickly, Izuku typed up a response to the message, explaining the current situation that he was in, though he refrained from mentioning that Mina was currently asleep on him. He told Micha that she was asleep, and he wasn't sure if he should wake her up or not, and asked him for what he thought was best.

A response came exactly a minute later. As it turned out, Micha was a very fast typer.

 _'Yeah, maybe don't wake her up. Last time I tried that, she nearly drowned me in Acid – She likes her sleep. So long as you don't try and grope my sister in her sleep, I'm pretty sure its fine for her to stay there, if that's cool with you. I'll let mom and dad know.'_

Blushing at what Micha had said, Izuku put the phone back into Mina's bag and pushed it out of his reach. He'd tell her that he'd used her phone the minute that she woke up, and ask her to forgive him. He did feel genuinely bad.

But still… Here she was, still sound asleep against his chest, peaceful and without a care in the world. Closer inspection showed that she was lightly smiling, with a soft blush colouring her cheeks. She looked so calm and content in this moment, Izuku just stared at her face for a short while…

There were a lot of things he still wanted to know about Mina, like why she came and spoke to him that day. Why she kissed him when she did…. And why she fell in love with someone like him, out of all their classmates. He did wonder about all this sort of thing, quite frequently. He wanted to know why this girl had fallen for him…

It didn't matter at the end of the day. An answer would sate curiosity… But Izuku was content with things being this way. He liked this. He liked having a girlfriend like Mina. She was fun to be around, and made his heart beat like no one else ever would be able to. Her being around made him feel good about everything around him. To put it simply, he treasured her.

He didn't really think when he leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly, out of affection for the Acid Quirk user. He wasn't even particularly aware of what he was doing, but he didn't fight it as he did so. Her cheek was soft and warm.

A very quiet, tired groan suddenly came from the girl's throat. "Mmm… Izuku?..."

"M-Mina! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…"

"Mmm…" The girl's eyes were still closed while she readjusted herself. "How long I been sleeping?..."

"M-Maybe ten minutes…" Izuku said. ""I um… I-I used your phone…. M-Micha said you could stay if you wanted.."

"'Kay…."

"… You… Aren't gonna ask me how I knew your password?"

"Just a lucky guess…" Mina murmured happily. "Don't worry about it, Izuku… I know you'd worry about that sorta thing…. I'ma go… Sleep now, okay?... Love you…"

Izuku just blinked a few more times as he smiled at the half awake state Mina had been in just a few seconds ago. She was barley was able to even keep her eyes open throughout the conversation, and had been struggling to even form coherent sentences.

It was cute. So he smiled and kissed her head lightly.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **Shorter chapter this time, but yeah, I've been busy. This chapter was gonna have a few more scenes to it, but I cut them out. I'm really enjoying writing MinaDeku and First Generation lately, so they're gonna have a lot more focus on them lately ^_^ Izuku dealing with Mina's phone is something that I've done in the past, and I imagine he'd fret over it. I don't see Mina really caring one way or the other. I once hacking into a phone by the owner telling me the password was "Easy". That was inspiration for Mina's phone password being "Deku".**

 **Also, for all the suggestive themes in this chapter - Mina's a flirt. We all know this.**

 **Minadeku art is on the rise, by the way, which made me a very happy. Not to sound egotistical, but I think me and SecondaryVulpine might've helped that a little bit - Although most artists hear it and are like "Nahh"  
**

 **So in other news, operation convert the artists is go.**

 **It might be short, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^_^ I'll be seeing you in the next chapter of whatever it is that I make next. See ya!**


	14. Simple Backfire

The first thing Izuku saw when he woke up was pink. Specifically, pink hair. First thing in the morning, and still half asleep, the green haired boy thought he was still dreaming, or that the entirety of the previous lucid seven hours had been some kind of hallucination on his part, due to stress and other factors he couldn't possibly be aware of.

Why on earth he would be hallucinating about tutoring Mina was a completely different question. Had he finally lost it?

It wasn't until he actually took a breath, and caught the scent of her hair - At this point, he was convinced that she could practically claim a trademark on it - That he realised that in fact, he was awake, he wasn't going a very weird sort of insane, and that Mina was indeed still in his room, in the same position that she was in last night, and that it was morning. She'd spent the entire night here.

That was... A very conflicting thought to have. Both exciting and absolutely terrifying at the same time.

Blinking a few times to regain his sight, blurred as it was in the mornings, Izuku looked around the room, finding aside from the slightly shorter girl if you excluded the horns, and if you did, then slightly taller than himself, located on his lap, and her belongings around the place, then everything was as it should be.

He yawned, and unconsciously moved his hand to cover his mouth out of pure muscle reflex that this was how his body was supposed to act. His arm didn't move how it was supposed to, instead staying where it was for the most part, his forearm moving vertically slightly, his hand suddenly pressed against something warm. Following where his arm was with his eyes, he found out that his hand was, somehow, underneath her partially rolled up school undershirt and pressed against her bare stomach. How this had happened was beyond him. Either this had happened in his sleep, or Mina was intentionally messing with him.

A few seconds passed before it fully registered what the hell was going on.

When it finally clicked, Izuku felt his entire body go as rigid as concrete. Eyes fully open now, he almost bit on his lips so hard that he drew blood. Dear God, how the hell did this happen?! His mind was racing, and he was fighting a serious urge to rocket away from the sleeping girl and let the consequences to that action be damned. There was only so much Izuku was capable of taking at one point, and this was one step too far, especially first thing in the morning!

He couldn't exactly move his hand, all that said. That would require him untangling himself from the weird maze that seemed to have developed. There was never a point the word 'maze' should be used to describe a person's clothing and body, and that thought in itself made Izuku blush, even more than he already was doing. If that didn't make matters bad enough, looking down Mina's body, which was a blush inducing incident in itself, to where his hand was, he discovered her own hand atop where his was.

So this was Mina messing with him. She must have woken in the middle of the night and done this just to mess with him.

She really was going to wind up giving him a heart attack someday, wasn't she?

"Mmm...uhuh?" Upon thinking that, he suddenly heard Mina begin to stir awake. Her head tilted to the side, which nearly caused her horns to whack Izuku in the chin due to where he was positioned. He avoided being hit narrowly, pulling his head back as rapidly as he could to evade being accidentally caught by the visual Quirk his girlfriend had. Her body also shifted, wriggling like she must normally do, like she was trying to roll straight over and return back to sleep, only to find out that she couldn't do that. "...The heck?..." She questioned with a loud yawn of her own, not moving her hands to stifle it whatsoever.

Neither of them spoke or moved for a couple of seconds, while Mina went through the same thought process, checklist, and realisation that Izuku had been through, only about ten times faster.

Tilting her head backwards carefully, she looked up at him, and smiled sleepily at him. "Hey."

"H-Hello."

"Mornin'."

"Morning."

"So." Mina smirked, waving her hands shakily around the general vicinity of where they were sat, cuddled, whatever one wanted to call it. "This happened."

"Y-Yes..."

"Sleep well?"

"Y-Yeah... I-I mean I'm a bit stiff, but i-it should wear off." His back was starting to strain after being in this position with an alien amount of weight on him. Cramped up for so long, he was struggling to stay limber. He could already feel his spine wanting him to stretch and click something back into place.

The girl on the other hand just snorted a laugh before noting where Izuku's hand was. Her grin grew from ear to ear, and she narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"N-W-W-W-H-Hold on -"

"No thanks."

"M-M-Mina!"

"Yo."

Screaming on the inside, and stammering on the inside, Izuku found himself unable to either speak, or properly construct his thoughts. He tried his best to move his hands off of Mina's skin, but she wasn't helping, keeping his hands exactly where they were. Mina was enjoying this way too much.

"You know I'm messing with you, right?" His girlfriend asked with another sharp look in her yellow irises. Her voice had a flirtatious tone to it, with an almost daring edge. "Put your hands wherever the heck you feel like it."

"That - That is _not_ what I was doing!" The thoroughly flustered boy could only gasp out now, like all the force from his lungs had been duly stamped out with repeated flirt after flirt. It would have been one thing if this had been later in the day, but first thing in a morning, and already Izuku felt like his skin had caught alight.

On the other hand, Mina was just sat there giggling to herself, relaxed and comfortable as one could be in the world. Though it seemed like an insane statement to make, she seemed less energetic than one would expect, but her edge was there, particularly when it came to making Izuku embarrassed. That being said, she wasn't jumpy or hyper like she normally was. Izuku theorised it was because she had just woken up, that she needed some sort of kick before she would revert to the bombastic girl he loved.

Though despite her crippling addition to making him lose the ability to use his words and make his heart increase in rate like a track runner, this version of her had its appeal. Seeing her in a calmer frame of mind was refreshing in a sense. She was human, not some sort of weird alien that managed to assimilate into society through boundless energy and flirting mastery.

"First thing in the morning, and you're already sweating. Nice." Teased Mina, using her free hand to tap Izuku's forehead lightly, in time with the final word she used. She then sounded embarrassed, like she'd just remembered what was going on. "Seriously, we just slept like this?"

"I-I guess..."

"You... You said you used my phone?.. I think? Last night's kind of a blur right now."

"I mean... You were half asleep when I told you."

"I'm just glad you told me." Mina stretched forward, extending her arms with her fingers inter-winded, pushing until she heard a serious of clicks in her fingers and arms. Doing so seemed to trigger another yawn from the pink girl. "Better than keeping secrets."

Taking the opportunity, Izuku quickly took his hand back from her stomach. It felt like fire.

"Thought you might've been enjoying that." Slyly commented the teary eyed girl, rubbing her left visionary optical that had welled up from her yawning with her hand.

Izuku blushed. His enjoyment none withstanding, if he kept his hand there any longer, he wasn't going to be able to force himself away. Her skin, especially under that sort of condition, was like fleshy magma. "H-How do you even manage to flirt like this as soon as you wake up?"

"I'm good at adapting." Was the answer she gave. Another yawn followed. "I won't be myself until I get some caffeine in me... So you've got this version of me until then."

That didn't honestly sound too bad.

"So you get unpredictable Acid girl until I'm back to normal, Izuku."

There was definite meaning behind those words. Looking down at her, Izuku saw haughty looks being thrown at him like they were about to become extinct from the records of humanity. Like she was planning on how she was going to keep him tied in-

With a ferocious blush, Izuku looked away in literally every direction all at once.

"U-U-W-We-We sh-should, you k-know, g-get ready to g-get to s-school!"

"Aw, do we have to?" Mina asked with another smirk, before giving up with her teasing, and getting up herself, leaving the spot she and Izuku had spent the entire night in. Standing up now, her uniform was all wrinkled and unkempt, not that it bothered her too much. "Hey, you sleep alright? You look tired as hell."

In truth, Izuku had slept lightly, very lightly. With Mina on his lap, his mother walking in and having that awkward conversation, and how early he had woken up out of sheer habit, left him with about five hours of sleep. He could manage on six hours if he had a particularly good rest and had a goal in mind for that particular day that enthused him, but these aside, he was still normally exhausted. Eight was his usual, and that was the optimal for humans anyway. What most people needed to function at their top.

"I'm... Just a little sleepy. I'm okay." Izuku said with a small nervous laugh that couldn't have been more obvious a giveaway. The young boy didn't want Mina to worry about him throughout the day. He could manage. He'd make sure he could keep his eyes open. He'd survived far worse during his training with All Might, and that was during middle school. That was before he'd fought with dangerous Villains on a regular basis. He could handle this.

It wasn't like he had much choice, anyway. Just staying home because he was tired was completely out of the question.

Both of their uniforms were crumpled up, neither having been washed, ironed, or any of the other chores that wearing a uniform from such a high level establishment as Yuuei came with. Still, Bakugou went every day with two of the top buttons undone and without a tie completely, and no one seemed to care. It couldn't be that big a deal to go in with a few wrinkles to the clothing. So either way, it saved them some time, since they were both already dressed.

Luckily, they had woken up at roughly the normal time Izuku did to get ready to head over to the school. Since he had to catch trains, he had to be up and ready at a very specific time, or risk missing his ride entirely.

Mina gathered her belongings quickly, and slipped into her school jacket, and doing up the tie that came with it. Her uniform jacket was far more obviously unkempt than Izuku's was, since it had been stuffed into her bag since the previous day. Again, it was too late to do anything about it right now. She wasn't particularly too bothered when it came to the uniform anyway, not liking it a great deal in the first place.

"Quick question, your mother does know I'm still here, right?" Mina asked. "I'm not gonna have some awkward exchange about what the heck she thinks I'm still doing here?"

"No, she knows." Izuku assured her. "She's probably out of the apartment right now anyway. She mentioned something about having to go out early today."

"Aw." The pink girl sighed, sounding disappointed, which caught Izuku's attention. "I had like six lines planned to mess with you."

"... I think you plan out ways to embarrass me a bit too much."

"Maybe. Fun though." Her teeth showed as she grinned. "It's like a hobby."

"I think you may need a new one."

"Oh yeah? Like what? Cross stitching?"

"Studying?"

"You realise a hobby is supposed to be fun, right?" The girl asked, suddenly deadpanned. "They're not supposed to make suicide look like a pleasant alternative to turning a page."

Izuku looked horrified for a brief moment until he realised that Mina was supposed to be telling a joke. He shuddered. "Th-That was a bit dark..."

"Yeah, I only realised that after I said it." The pink girl sighed, blinking hard a couple of times. "Should I just stick to finding ways to embarrass you?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Glad we had this talk." Yawned the Acid Quirk user. Her left arm brought her backpack up her arm, and slung right over her back, where her right arm slid itself underneath the right strap, until it rested on her shoulder. "Hey, don't suppose your train station has a coffee stand or anything?"

"I uh, there should be one?"

"You have no idea."

"...No."

"There'll be one at the Yuuei stand anyway." Mina muttered. Ideally, she would have just grabbed one at the station to wake herself up sooner. The only real negative to the possible lack of a stand was that she'd have to spend about another half hour like this, sleepy and yawning constantly. She needed her usual intake before she could snap herself awake.

"You-I could make you a drink, y-you know. I-I don't mind." Izuku offered kindly. The offer was heart-warming, simple a gesture as it was. If they weren't in a rush to get to classes on time, Mina would have gladly accepted it. Hell, if it was anyone but Izuku, she would have taken them up on it, but the young girl knew how much learning to be a Hero at Yuuei meant to him.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm thinking about time. I don't want us to end up being late because I needed a hot drink." Mina explained, smiling sweetly at her boyfriend. "Thanks though. I appreciate it."

* * *

Fortunately for the pink skinned girl, there had been a stand selling the glory that was scolding hot coffee, lined with as much caffeine as one could fit into a plastic cup. Izuku had been offered a drink many times, but had politely refused each time, saying he wasn't thirsty. It wasn't exactly a lot to reassure Mina that he was okay, but she couldn't exactly shove boiling hot coffee down his throat against his will, so she wound up drinking the entire contents herself within a space of ten minutes, before the train had even shown up.

When the train finally did arrive, Izuku and Mina had hopped on it, Izuku more or less collapsing into one of the available seats. He could deny it all he wanted, he was utterly exhausted, emotionally just as well as physically.

Mina may have felt some responsibility for those.

"You're not okay, are you." It wasn't a question, more an accusatory statement. She knew he wasn't entirely okay, there wasn't the slightest need to ask him if he was. He'd try to convince her that really, he was okay, so he wouldn't worry her.

"I can manage." Izuku muttered quietly, rubbing his left eye with the corresponding hand. "I did a bunch of training with All Might before I got my Quirk, remember?"

"You still got eight hours sleep back then. Hell, you got six hours sleep at the least. I'm not exactly the most academic type, but even I know we can work with six hours, but anything less than that is gonna be an issue." She grinned sheepishly, but her tone remained serious. "I may or may not have learned that the hard way."

Letting out an amused laugh, Izuku knew that she was right in that respect. There wasn't really a way he could spin that in his favour. She was right...

"...Heroes have to work with a small amount of rest."

"...Not gonna lie, that's probably the last thing I expected you to compare to Heroism. I'm actually kind of impressed you managed to link the two." Mina giggled at his one tracked mind, amused by his antics, and impressed with his tenacity towards his chosen work field. It only held more substance and a feeling of genuine passion for the craft since he was born Quirkless.

Still, Mina also knew that was basically his 'Get out of jail free' card. She didn't have to be his girlfriend to know that though. Anyone who knew him even slightly knew he'd try to set himself to the standards of Professional Heroes. He was a bit overzealous in that sense.

"... But you aren't a Hero yet, Izuku." She gently told him. "Not a Pro, anyway. We're still students. And come on, this is a pretty easy fix. We'll just grab you something to wake you up at the next statio - You don't have any money, do you." It suddenly hit her like a brick to the forehead. That was why he was trying to literally argue against one of the easiest solutions that she could even think of, to a ridiculously simple and trivial problem.

With a weak attempt at a smile, Izuku shook his head in confirmation, a shaky laugh coming from his lips.

"...You know, you do some pretty odd stuff sometimes." Sighed the pink girl. Maybe it was because he was a smart guy, but he was quirky in both the best and worst ways. "Wish you'd said something, you could've shared mine."

"S-Sorry..." To his credit, Izuku did actually seem apologetic for making her worry like he was. His plan to not worry her had backfired immensely. All over a damned cheap coffee from the station and his brain didn't remind him to pick up some spare change due to the lack of rest. All of it came into some sort of sponge of awkwardness and badness all at once.

Mina hadn't got the chance to get any spare change either, since she hadn't actually gone home the previous night. She had a bit of cash that she kept at school for lunches, but it wouldn't do either of them any good at that point. Izuku probably did the same, but he'd argue that a meal was more important, and he was probably right in that regard. So essentially, his own awkwardness meant that he was going to be marching through the day without so much as a pick-me-up to help him on his way. It wouldn't have been a lot, but if he was anything like her, it would have helped him out at the least.

"You worry about some really dumb stuff, man." Mina rested her head on his shoulder in exasperation herself. With a small smile of mild amusement at the whole thing, she teased Izuku, "This has to be a new record for you."

"I kind of feel like an idiot now."

"Well, you are kind of an idiot, for being someone so smart. You're kind of dopey."

"I think I get the idea."

Giggling for a moment, and then sighing, Mina lifted her head from Izuku's shoulder. It would take them half an hour before they ended up at the station they got off at to walk the rest of the way to Yuuei. It wouldn't be much, but it would be something. Better than nothing, and it might help.

Without saying a word, Mina brought her hand that was furthest away from Izuku up to his cheek. She felt a bit of resistance when she pulled his head down to her own shoulder, but not much. For a second, both of them were completely still and silent.

"Go to sleep." Mina told him softly, resting the hand that had pulled him there now atop his green and black hair. She was gentle with it in the places she needed to be, knowing the drawbacks to having curly hair such as the two of them had, in the same way someone with spiky or straight hair knew the drawbacks to them. "Get a bit of rest before we get there. I'll wake you at the station."

Hesitant for the briefest of moments, Izuku slowly nodded from his position, his girlfriend's soothing voice and scent far too appealing for him to even begin to think about resisting. He didn't have either the energy, or the willpower, to oppose this simple motion.

His eyelids slammed shut before he even could think about closing them.

* * *

 **A short update this time, I know, but in my defense, I'm kind of dealing with some health issues that made writing this a bit difficult. I did my best ^_^**

 **The amount of MinaDeku artwork that I'm seeing these days is pretty damn amazing. I've got like, 8 separate images on my iPad, and there probably a whole lot more than that that I'm just not seeing. I like to think this story has helped bring them around, but I find it unlikely. I can dream. If nothing else, it motivates me to do even better ^_^**

 **Izuku is based on me in this chapter - Because anything less than six hours, and I am dead to the world.**

 **At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time. See ya guys!**


	15. Recall

"Hey, Izuku? You can wake up anytime you feel like it. Rise and shine, sunshine." While her voice had plenty of banter in it, Mina's voice was sweet and comforting, tender at the same time, almost like she was dealing with a baby. She was gently shaking Izuku, trying to prompt him into waking up, but such was the slumber he was in that even though he knew that she was trying to wake him, he didn't open his eyes, or even feel like pretending that he was about to.

In fact, he didn't make any movements whatsoever. He just remained there, motionless, like he hadn't heard her at all. He knew that she would be able to tell he was awake in a few seconds, but he gripped onto the wonderful embrace of sleep for as long as he could.

"Damn. I don't think I've ever seen Midoriya this tired."

"What the heck did you even have him doing last night, Ashido?"

"Not whatever you're thinking, Tooru. Stop thinking it." Mina responded with good humour, before she actually started shaking Izuku for real. "C'mon Izu-kun, you gotta get up." Ceasing being gentle, she tried to snap him out of his blanket of darkness. That wasn't working, so Mina decided to try something else. Lowering her voice a little, she gave a joking, but sinister threat to the boy who was rested on her shoulder. "Don't make me use irritant Acid on you. I'll make you itch for the next three hours, I swear it, Izuku."

The threat alone was enough to break him. Irritant Acid would definitely... Definitely... Not be fun. "...Please don't?" He asked, his exhaustion evident in every word he said. Not even tired enough to stutter, he was just rolling with whatever he wound up saying at this point.

"Gotta get up then." Repeated the pink skinned girl, patting Izuku atop his fluffy green head. She did feel bad about making him feel this tired. This was her fault in a particular sense, so she felt almost responsible for her boyfriend today, like she was supposed to be babysitting him or something.

Somehow, Izuku had managed to get through the day without falling asleep at his desk, and had even managed to make some valid, good, usable notes on the subject matter at hand.

The second the lunch break began though, and he'd sat next to Mina, he was out like a light, instantly asleep. In doing this, his body had instinctively leaned to the side, where he felt he was safe, to rest his head on his girlfriend's right shoulder. In the brief moments before his consciousness left him, he felt how soft she was, even with her full uniform, and how she told him gently with a soft voice that he was okay and that she'd wake him up when he needed to be woken.

He'd managed to fall asleep with a smile on his face.

And now he was being so roughly awoken. He knew that he had to have expected this. He had been asleep the majority of the lunch break, but still, now that it was nearly oven, Izuku felt nothing but the desperate urge to do nothing but sleep. If he didn't sleep, not only would he be rendered inoperable, but he would also lose concentration and that could affect his grades if he didn't rest. He was screwed either way.

Reluctantly, he lifted his head up and yawned, opening his left eye to look around him, and immediately found himself sent into a scarlet blush.

"Man, and I thought you were some kind of academic based machine." Kaminari commented with a smirk on his lips. The Electrification Quirk user took another bite out of his food, using wooden chopsticks, lest his Quirk accidentally cause conduction through a any other set, and spoke again, while he chewed. "Good to see at least see those of you at the top of the class are as human as the rest of us."

"No, he gets good grades because he studies. Unlike you." Tsuyu bluntly stated, her head rested on her folded arms. Anyone who didn't know here might assume that she was going to sleep, though she just did this because she found it comfortable. Her brutal honesty earned her a few laughs, much to the despair of Kaminari.

Ah, Izuku remembered, awkwardly lowering his head and laughing nervously. Now he remembered exactly where he was. He might have managed to get away with how he'd just acted when it was just him and Mina. Not in front of about half their classmates, all of which were looking at him and doing their absolute best not to burst out laughing.

Befitting how their social groups had sort of merged together, Izuku and Mina usually found large tables to reserve seats for their friends, or for whoever it was they could manage. At the absolute maximum, they'd normally share the tables with Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, Asui, Hagakure, and occasionally they were joined by Kirishama, Kaminari and Jirou, all of which excluding the Ear Jack Quirk holder were here today. With finals for the semester upcoming, it felt like it made sense to huddle together, bounce questions back and forth in the event someone felt unsure, and overall use one another as a more entertaining alternative to textbooks, essentially.

When Izuku had fallen asleep, no one had been there aside from Mina. Now literally everyone was there. He wasn't entirely certain what he had expected, of course they would all be there. Most likely, he hadn't been awake enough to care one way or the other. Now though, his boiling cheeks regretted that carelessness.

"You uh, have a nice nap there, Midoriya?" Kirishama asked, revealing his sharpened teeth as he spoke, unable to suppress a grin, like Kaminari had been incapable of doing. The scene amused him way too much.

"Hey, come on Kirishama." Uraraka was the next one to speak up. Once Izuku managed to open both his eyes and regain the clear vision required for walking in a straight line, he glanced to his right, noticing that the Zero Gravity Quirk user was right next to him, and Kirishama was directly opposite her. "Deku works harder than anyone I know."

"I know, I'm just messin' with the guy." The Hardening Quirk user defended light-heartedly, grinning again as he leaned back into the rest of his seat.

Tilting his head over, Todoroki, who was located right at the edge of the table, questioned, "You think maybe it's because you joke too much your failing your academic subjects?"

"Damn, you're cold, Todoroki. Words hurt!" Kirishama responded with a smirk, although he looked like he was internally screaming at the fact he was probably right about that. The unintentionally harsh response given by the classes strongest seemed to have affected Mina and Kaminari as well, both now slightly uneasy.

Though she was Izuku had studied for the majority of the previous night, the information hadn't completely stuck to her brain. She sure as hell felt a lot more confident, and it had helped her immensely, but when starting from level one, practically anything was an improvement. That didn't change the fact that without a dramatic increase in her grades, she was going to wind up being in a whole lot of trouble. She supposed that she could ask Izuku again...

But taking a look at him, she couldn't even begin to think of it. Not after he'd ended up in this state because of her. She liked to mess around, joke, and do silly things, but when it affected the people around her, especially the ones she cared about, then she knew that she needed to make a change. Right now, that change involved not causing Izuku anymore undue stress and fatigue. At this rate, they'd both fail, and that would be far from a good thing.

Plus, at this rate... "Still, to be so ill prepared for the day ahead... I expected far better from you, Midoriya!" ...And there it was. "Do the trials we all endured to attend this fine institution mean nothing to you?!" Iida's serious school president personality, the one he kept up during school hours. According to Izuku, he was far less wound up than he seemed, but to imagine him loosening up in any capacity was a stretch for Mina's imagination.

He almost seemed to act like the older brother to the class at times, the kind of brother who would pound it into your heads the importance and responsibility that the person in question had. Of course, malice was far from what he was trying to convey, the furthest thing in fact. It was far more accurate to

Tired, Izuku didn't feel like arguing in his own defence right now, so he just nodded sleepily. "I know, sorry Iida."

"Hey, don't!" Mina quickly spoke up, glancing from Izuku back to Iida, and then to Izuku again. "It's kind of my fault anyway. I was the one who you wound up losing sleep 'cause of. I kept you up studying. You shouldn't be apologising, Izu-kun." Of fourse, Mina knew that Iida was one of Izuku's closest friends here at the school, and that he'd know him longer than he'd known her, but still, the accusation that it was Izuku's fault was just unfair.

Iida seemed to blink a few times before he actually processed the sentence that had been spoken to him. Looking at Izuku's state, and how surprised he was at Mina's sudden reaction, Iida concluded that Mina wasn't lying in any way. "I see." The second he'd finished saying that, he bowed apologetically with such speed, he almost slammed his face right into the table, prompting Kirishama to instinctively activate his Quirk to defend himself if Iida wound up misjudging this entire thing. "I wholeheartedly apologise!"

"D-Don't worry about it." Izuku assured his friend with a weak, sleepy smile, before squeezing his girlfriend's shoulder and telling her, "That's just how Iida is, Mina, i-it's nothing like - It - It's okay."

"Yeah, I... I know. Sorry, Iida." Mina quickly apologised, guilt already setting itself in. She stood by what she said and felt, but still felt Iida had been a bit too harsh towards Izuku.

"Not at all." Iida accepted without hesitation. Sometimes, like he shifted gears for his own Quirk depending on the speed he wanted, it seemed like he could shift his personality from being critically serious to more relaxed and friendly. It seemed to work well for someone like him, who was incredibly serious about both school and becoming a Hero. Almost useful in a way, when he was just around people in a more casual manner. "Don't fret about it, Ashido. Your care for Midoriya is well noted."

Now it was Mina's turn to go a bit lilac in the face, but she was nowhere near as embarrassed as Izuku had been just moments ago. She smiled and openly chuckled lightly as her faint blush came into sight.

Since they had revealed to their classmates their relationship, and grown closer and more comfortable together as a pair themselves, while Izuku was far more reserved, Mina had no problems showing her affection towards him. She was quite open with how she felt about him, and her nicknames displayed her fondness of her boyfriend clearly, and the fact Izuku did call her by her first name, never really referring to her as Ashido anymore showed that despite his shyness to say so, he was equally as fond of her. On the rare occasions when he did show how soft and sweet he could be with her while in view of others, all questions and doubt were ceased. The loyalties of the two were never called into question.

Although it did seem to royally piss off Bakugou when people mentioned it to him. To his credit though, he had never done anything to try to separate the two, though he never treated Izuku or Mina any different than he normally treated them individually.

Something Mina did not exactly appreciate when it came to how he treated Izuku.

"You two are adorable!" Tooru squealed, excitedly agreeing with Iida, and clapping together her invisible hands rapidly. "And you were so shy when we mentioned it to you, Ashido!"

"Shy?" Izuku blinked before looking at Mina, suddenly unable to hide his amusement. "Mina, you were shy?"

"Thanks, Tooru." Mina sighed sarcastically, though she couldn't help but lopsidedly smile.

"Mind if I ask something?" It was Todoroki who perked up next, though it was pretty obvious he wasn't too concerned regarding the relationship. As far as he was concerned, that was private business, and he wouldn't say anything unless he felt it was necessary. His line of sight indicated he was speaking to Tooru, someone he rarely conversed with. "This might be a bit of a topic change, but I do have a question for both you and Ashido."

"Go for it."

"Is there any particular reason that Ashido refers to you by your first name, but you don't refer to her by hers?"

"'Course there is!" Chimed the invisible girl energetically. "Only Midoriya gets to call Ashido by her first name cuz he's her boyfriend!"

"Ah."

"I didn't even notice that." Kaminari muttered. "How perceptive even are you?"

Before he could get an answer, regardless of if he was serious or not, Uraraka suddenly stood up with her tray in hand, sliding her way from her seat. Though there was only a few minutes left before the bell eventually rang, it was unlike Uraraka to just up and leave before anyone else. Usually she'd leave when someone else did, if only to speak to them on the way out of the room, but her leaving first was, well, a first.

"Hey, Uraraka, you're going already?" Kirishama asked before she got out of vocal range, his scarred eye a bit wider then his uninjured one.

"Oh, yeah, I'm just gonna go on a little walk before classes start." Answered their classmate with a gentle smile. "I'll see all of you in class in a bit!" With that, she turned around again, dumped her tray in the nearest rack, and left the dining hall immediately.

Even a sleep deprived Izuku was able to notice that something wasn't quite right.

"What's up with Uraraka?" Kaminari questioned, placing down his utensils and leaning back as far as his seat would allow him to.

"Something's bothering her." Commented Tsuyu, letting out a frog-like croak from her neck as she tilted her head. "Hard to tell with her, when she puts on such a tough face whenever she's upset."

Nodding, Mina agreed with the Frog-Form Mutant Quirk holder. "Didn't she start acting a bit strange a while ago?... I'm getting worried about her."

The previous day, Izuku remembered Mina mentioning something about Uraraka seeming like she was off, like she seemed distracted for whatever reason. In truth, he had noticed it too, but hadn't had the time to ask her about it, otherwise he would have. As the weeks had gone on, he had prioritised Mina, schoolwork and studying above everything else, and his mind had slipped up on a few instances that he would have much preferred to have not failed in. Guilt had been racking him for a while now, and he'd wanted to ask about it. When he'd called her, she hadn't answered, keeping her phone off when she didn't need it, to save money apparently.

Being a Hero meant getting into someone else's business without them asking for it. That was a trait All Might praised Izuku for all the time, and he held those words close to heart, always.

Besides, even if it wasn't a Heroic tendency, he would have asked anyway.

"I'm gonna go check on her." He told his group, rising from his own seat and sliding out of the row. He needed just a brief moment to stretch his arms and rebalance himself after his nap. Once he'd done that, without waiting around, he made a beeline straight in the direction his friend had gone off in.

"He'd better be quick." Todoroki stated. "Aizawa-sensei isn't going to be happy with him if he's late for his next lecture." Physical Quirk type users, so people like Izuku, were the target of the lesson plan today, so it was something both he and Uraraka would benefit greatly from. He'd said as much, and had expected them, and other Physical types especially to be there on time.

"Hey, Iida, you spend a lot of time with Uraraka, right?" Kirishama asked, turning to face the class president. "You know what's up with her?"

"I'm afraid not." The Engine Quirk user admitted. "Her behaviour has been like this for a few weeks now, and she won't inform me as to why. She claims that she's worried for the semester's final exams."

"You don't think somethings wrong, do you?" Mina asked, still watching the door Izuku had just passed through, quietly hoping that any second now that he and Uraraka were going to just walk right back into the room with smiles on their faces.

Though their interactions had been limited as of recently, Mina and Uraraka were friends. Both of them had similar, social personalities that allowed them to get along very well, but since Mina began dating Izuku, they hadn't spoken as much. Mina did feel sad about that particular fact.

"Looked like she needed a shoulder to cry on." Kaminari commented. Though he was nowhere near as bad as Mineta, the blond teenager was known for having particular ulterior motives when it came to his female classmates. Thankfully, he was far less... Objective was perhaps the best word. "Maybe I should go check on her too."

"Don't be an idiot, Kaminari." Mina teased. "Even if she did, you'd just electrocute her once you started panicking."

* * *

"H-Hey, Uraraka, wait up!" Izuku was doing the closest thing to running without actually breaking out into a jog within the school corridors, weaving and politely getting past some Mutant Type second years. Luckily for Izuku, Uraraka hadn't been walking particularly quickly once she left the lunch hall, giving him plenty of time to catch up to her, which hadn't taken him more than a minute.

Hearing his voice, the brunette girl automatically turned around to see the source, stopping in her tracks. Seeing him, she cursed her natural reflex. Not because she disliked Izuku for whatever reason.

Right now, she just found it difficult to be around him.

Still, he was there now, barely even three feet from her, and he looked like he was concerned about her wellbeing, like a good friend would be. "Deku?" She didn't even need to hear what it was that he was after, because she already knew. He must have picked up on her general upset and wanted to know what was causing it. Uraraka scowled at herself for being unable to conceal her feelings better. He was sweet like that, she'd always thought that. He was a kind person to the very core of his being, never holding resentment against anyone, and showing concern where it wasn't always welcome. He was altruistic like that. Still, he was the last person Uraraka wanted to see at this exact moment.

"There you are." Izuku took a couple of deep breaths, reclaiming the oxygen he'd used getting here. It hadn't been particularly far, but Izuku had been going at walking speed Mach ten to get there before his friend disappeared into the maze that was Yuuei High.

"Is - Is something wrong Deku? What's up?"

"I uh, I wanted to ask you that, actually." Izuku brought his green eyes to look at Uraraka's brown ones, placing a hand on her arm and pulling her to the side of the corridor, so they wouldn't cause any traffic issues for the students that were passing through. "Y-You've been acting kind of off lately. Everyone's getting worried about you, s-so I just wondered... I-Is everything alright?"

What was wrong with her? Uraraka didn't honestly have a clear answer to that question, because frankly, she wasn't sure herself. She'd known that this would happen, so she'd tried to downplay her emotions to try to avoid it, evidentially poorly and to none of the desired effect. Unable to really say what it was that was wrong with her, she could only shrug and offer a smile as awkward as one of Izuku's.

"Is it something personal? Something you don't feel comfortable talking about with people?"

"Sort of..." There wasn't any point in denying her state right now, so she decided to just be vague. He was half right, Uraraka admitted to herself, but he wasn't quite all the way there yet. Part of it was, in all honesty, his fault.

Of course, she knew that he wasn't doing it because He was aware of how it was affecting her. He wasn't that kind of person. If he knew, he'd cease instantly, refusing to ever do the sort of thing within her presence every again. And while she'd appreciate it... It wasn't fair on him.

Or Ashido, for that matter.

Seeing them the way they were was... Difficult. She was genuinely happy for the two of her friends, and she could very clearly see that they were as close as two people could ever be. Subtle things shouted out the loudest, from the way they spoke to one another, how they would always glance towards each other, and how they touched each other, how comfortable they were with each other... It was heart-warming to see two people who loved one another as much as they did able to be together.

Yet at the same time... It also made the Zero Gravity Quirk user uncomfortable in ways she wasn't sure how to describe. She found herself looking for inconsistencies in the way that they acted, little gaps and holes that stood out to her. Almost like she was trying to find flaws in their relationship, and the fact that she was doing this honestly sickened her. She didn't even know why it was that she was doing this, and had gone to greater and greater lengths to just stop herself. She hated it, and herself, for even doing it subconsciously.

What the hell sort of a friend was she?

"Y-You know..." His stammer had gotten better as his relationship with Mina had developed, and he was now able to string some sentences together coherently, yet he found himself stuttering here, mostly because he was struggling to find the right words to describe the situation, explain what he wanted to say as clearly as he could. Mina was his girlfriend, and he might have had feelings for her in the past, and to a certain extent still did, but Uraraka was his best friend, that hadn't changed whatsoever from Izuku's perspective. "Y-You can talk to me about anything you need to, right? I-I won't pry, a-and you don't have to say anything you don't want to... But if you need anything... I'm here."

He might have liked Uraraka in the past... But he loved Mina right now. He truly did love Mina, and it felt stronger with every day. Still, none of that diminished the fact that he did care for the first friend he made at Yuuei, his closest friend, and the love he had for his girlfriend didn't mean that he would stop doing whatever he could to comfort his friend right now.

The words brought a small smile to the face of Uraraka, her rosy cheeks heating up just a bit. Nodding in gratitude, she decided that she would confess at least half of what was upsetting her right now. "Promise not to laugh?..."

"O-Of course I won't!"

"...I kind of miss it just being us and Iida."

Blinking, Izuku couldn't help but smile. From his perspective, that made a lot of sense, especially given the personality he knew Uraraka to have. Ever since his relationship began, their small circle of friends had become more of a rectangle, expanding rapidly in a short period of time. He understood that she was social, but even she wasn't prepared to deal with their friend group expanding so rapidly in such a short time frame. It had shaken everything up a bit too quickly for her.

It made sense.

"Y-You know what I mean?" Timidly asked Uraraka, not sure if she was making any sense at this point. It wasn't the total truth, but it wasn't a complete lie either.

Izuku understood. She didn't need to elaborate any further. "Yeah, of course I do."

* * *

"So you're basically saying she's just sort of jealous and lonely?" There was a part of Mina that would completely admit, she did feel like kind of a jerk when she heard this word for word explanation. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she still felt as though it was.

"That's it in the simplest terms, yeah." Izuku nodded the simplified version of what he had just explained to Mina, nodding his head as she made correct inquiry after inquiry. He rested his right hand on his desk, the cars and deformed fingers catching his eye. He'd grown used to them by now, and he rarely inspected them anymore, but when he did, he was reminded of just what it was he was doing, and why he was doing it. It served the purpose he wanted it to - To remind him why he wanted to be a Hero.

That same scar reminded him as well, that being a Hero wasn't just rescuing people, beating up Villains, and representing the peace. Sometimes, it meant just helping someone out in the smallest of ways. He felt lucky he had Mina. She was someone who was able to understand that.

"Okay, yeah, I get it." Mina admitted, throwing her arms behind her head and standing up straight. Since she was stood so close to his desk, Izuku could see the relaxed expression she presented clearly. A distinct lack of noise that came with there being no one else in the classroom made their conversing that much easier. "Yeah, go ahead. You didn't really need to ask my permission to hang out with Uraraka, y'know."

Scratching his green rat's nest of curly hair, Izuku sheepishly smiled. "It just seemed to be the right thing to do, you know? If it could help her before the exams, I think it's -"

"Stop explaining." The pink skinned girl just smirked and shook her head amused by his constant desire to elaborate in why he was doing what he was doing. Few people would keep justifying themselves after being told that their current plan was okay. "I think it's a good idea too. You know Uraraka's my friend too, right? I want her to feel better. It's not like I need to be worried, do I?"

Flinching, Izuku shifted his gaze elsewhere in the room. In truth, he hadn't exactly explained his previous crush on his best friend, as such an opportunity never seemed to arise, and it always felt inappropriate to just bring it up and bring the mood to a crashing halt, particularly when being around Mina basically equated to having a fun time.

No time felt more appropriate than right now though, so he decided to just go for it, steeling himself for whatever response he would get. Honesty, he decided, would pay off in the long run. "I-If you want the complete truth... I-If you hadn't... You know, asked me on that d-date... Then you... Might have had something to be concerned about..."

"Yeah, good thing I did then." Mina just completely skimmed past it without missing a beat whatsoever, continuing as normal. "Would've hated to miss out on that front to her."

"W-W-Wait a second, you knew?!"

"Guessed." A short pause, with Izuku's large eyes already wide enough that he resembled some kind of Chibi bobblehead. All he needed now was a chain-hook and Mina could have attached him to her set and called him a keychain. The image in itself made her laugh. "Oh, c'mon Izuku, you were as obvious then as Bakugou going wild in a freaking fireworks factory. I knew that you were crushing on her when I asked you out. I'm just surprised you said yes." Shifting her weight to her left leg, her smile just grew. "Gotta be honest, didn't think we'd end up like this, you know, the whole dating thing, but I ain't complaining. With that comes a lotta trust - And I do trust you, Izuku." She beamed. "Dunno how often I'm gonna have to explicitly say this, but I really do trust you."

Izuku's heart suddenly began to throb, like it had been sent into hyperdrive from zero to seven thousand and sixty-three. His cheeks began to burn like crazy, and he couldn't even bring himself to hide it. Uniquely, he didn't feel any nervous twitch to cover his face, look away, or start rambling like a lunatic on Nitrous Oxide. He didn't feel like he had to continue justifying the situation to her.

He just loomed at her, as she looked at him, his heart still racing, but none of the tension there. Along with his own cheeks, he felt his ears, and now his lips begin to heat up. It was difficult to tell if Mina was feeling the same way right now, since her pigments of skin made it difficult to tell a light blush from her natural pink tone, but he was sure he could see some lilac on there. His own lips feeling hot was a new sensation for Izuku, one he hadn't felt before, nor had even heard of anyone else feeling, but instinctively, he knew exactly what it meant.

He wanted to kiss her.

Since she was looking down on him, since he was sat while she was stood, the curly hair that usually twirled up to cover parts of her face was now dangling slightly. It almost acted like it was framing her like a portrait from a certain angle. From Izuku's angle, it only caused his heart to beat that bit quicker.

"You alright?" Mina asked, as Izuku slowly rose from his chair.

It occurred to Izuku that he'd never actually kissed Mina. He'd given her a peck on the cheek during their date, and he'd been kissed by her plenty of times, but he'd never actually taken the initiative and kissed her. Nerves, and his lack of any sort of idea whatsoever as to what he was supposed to do had crippled him in that particular department.

But she'd kissed him enough times, and he'd returned them when she had. He had a rough idea of what he was doing now.

"M-Mina..." Izuku bit the inside of the corner of his mouth, feeling his blood pumping now. Had this feeling kicked in a week ago, Izuku would have probably used his Quirk to break the nearest wall down and make a mad dash for literally anywhere else in Japan. Desire and genuine affection were keeping him here now, and kept him speaking. "I-I... I kind of wanna kiss you - I-If that's a-alright!"

It had been a while since Mina had been completely stunned by Izuku and his actions. Just when she thought she was starting to get used to him and his antics, he seemed to one up himself. Her own heart was beating hard now, but she recovered far quicker, and her eyes and jaw relaxed themselves far sooner than his ever did.

She was sure that she would have fallen for him even if he had never fought Todoroki, with how damn cute he was at times. "Go ahead." She smiled, closing her eyes gently and allowing her lips to curl into a smile. "You don't need permission for that."

"D-Doesn't hurt to ch-check..." Izuku found himself talking quietly to himself in some sort of effort to calm his nerves as he took a step forward to Mina, his hands awkwardly in the air around her, since he wasn't sure what was traditionally considered okay for a guy to rest his hands on when kissing a girl. It was the waistline, wasn't it? Just slightly above that, at the small in her back.

Gently, he rested his hands there, able to feel her body warmth through the clothing she wore, and nervously, he closed the gap between then, so that with a lean, he'd be able to press his lips onto her expecting ones, smiling at each cheek and patiently waiting for her boyfriend to deliver the kiss he had requested to grant her.

There wasn't really any serious anxiety in Izuku's system. Not enough to make him want to flee to preserve some of his dignity. He didn't feel any of that right now. All he really felt was a surge, what felt like lightning, telling him what to do next. Were it the chemical called love that the brain released, the evolutionary effect on his system responsible for desire, or something far more tender and sacred, he would never know, but nor would he fight it either, enamoured like he was... He... Didn't have an appropriate example, but he knew it was a simple matter of he was in love.

He wanted to touch her, feel her, hold her close to him. He wanted to kiss her.

Without slowing down for a second, although his heart was racing but fuelled on regardless, Izuku closed his own eyes tightly, and pressed his lips against the girl he was in love with.

It was different to being kissed, he found instantly. There was far more adrenaline pumping through his body, and every movement he made felt like it was bursting with electricity. Mina's lips and skin felt like fire. A wonderful, sweet fire that he just couldn't pull himself away from...

Immediately, Mina let out a loud humming noise of enjoyment when their lips connected, and pushed her lips and body back towards her boyfriend. Her lips only pressed back gently, allowing Izuku to continue to lead the kiss. Pressing her waist, stomach and chest against him, and wrapping her arms around his neck, she was as close as she could be while allowing him to keep kissing her.

Instantly lamenting her absence the second he ended the kiss, Izuku leaned in again, to kiss her once more, and met no protest from Mina, who kissed him again with a far deeper interaction. She tasted sweet, better than anything else he'd ever tasted, noticing this only subconsciously once they pulled away the second time,

"You're good at this." Mina complimented with a flirtatious smile, grinning as Izuku went scarlet. Her own cheeks were lilac, and she was more hanging off of Izuku than she was pushing against him. "Kiss me again?"

Without giving an answer, Izuku closed the gap and kissed Mina for the third time, with plenty of love behind each second of the kiss.

* * *

 **Just wanted to fluff the hell out for a while ^_^ I'm wanting to write a bit more away from the canon and get a little closer to the Field Trip Arc. I have some plans and ideas for Quirks and the likes that I think will be awesome ^_^**

 **I hope you truly do enjoy this series ^_^ I'm still loving that this series is loved by so many of you ^_^ I'll keep this going while you guys still love it. See you guys next time!**


	16. Anger On Behalf

The next few days had been almost akin to juggling for Izuku, attempting to balance a social life with his friends, having a girlfriend, and studying like crazy for the upcoming end of semester tests. Yuuei wasn't known for being easy, so he was expecting it to be a brutal slog through every subject that they had spent the last few months marching through. Trying to manage all three had felt nearly impossible, but he'd found a perfect sweet spot, one that had hit the balance perfectly, without feeling like he was skimping on one of the other two at the same time. How he'd managed that was a miracle he doubted he could repeat.

Aizawa-sensei had made an announcement a few weeks prior, regarding the semester vacation that most other schools would take as a time to relax and unwind. The key word being most. According to their homeroom teacher, taking a month off of the studies was totally irrational, not that he was wrong. Since they were training to be the next generation of peacekeepers and Heroes, taking such a long time off would only serve to dull them and their senses. Izuku would have spent a large amount of that time studying and practicing his Quirk's control anyway.

So the declaration that the students who would pass the exams at the end of the semester got to go on an educational field trip that would go a long way to helping them hone their Quirks was like a Godsend to him. He in particular needed help with controlling his dangerous Quirk, so such an even would serve only as a positive to him and his dream of becoming a Hero.

In terms of his grades, he was quietly confident in his abilities. He'd studied plenty, and while he was still a long way off from being the best academic student in Class 1-A, that medal going to Yaoyarozu without a shadow of a doubt, he felt like he could do the written exams. Of course, he still had plenty of material he needed to study yet, but he was getting there. In regards to the physical exam, excluding his lack of knowledge as to what said exam would entail, he felt better about it than he was expecting. With Full Cowl actually making his Quirk viable as a battle tactic that wouldn't leave him as a twitching pile of broken flesh, he actually felt like, whatever the test would be, he stood a chance.

Mina though, was the opposite.

Kaminari's declaration that he hadn't studied for the exams whatsoever was joined alongside Mina throwing her arms behind her head like she was the most relaxed person on the planet. She had studied, but it hadn't all sunk in yet, and from an immediate standpoint, her grades hadn't changed all that much. She was one step up from the Electrification Quirk user, but it wasn't exactly the biggest achievement in the world to surpass someone who hadn't studied at all. To that end, she was right at the bottom of the class in terms of grades.

Yet another parallel between her and Izuku. Not that he minded it too much. It did add a bit of undue stress onto his system, since he wanted her to pass the finals as much as he wanted to finish them himself. When she requested his help, he was more than happy to deliver, giving her answers, and methods that he used to solve those problems, as well as memory tricks that he had picked up over the years.

She had told him that she was planning on attending some of the revision sessions that Yaoyarozu was offering to host at her house, which was smart. As it turned out, she felt that Yaoyarozu would be a far better teacher than Izuku was since she was one of the few people who was academically better than he was, which he didn't mind at all. He was honestly just glad that she was getting the information that she very desperately needed.

At the same time as well, he was making sure that he wasn't becoming alienated from his friends, whom he realised had also been affected by his and Mina's relationship, despite their statements of understanding. While he was grateful for that, he still felt guilty about having almost neglected them. He'd managed to juggle that back into his time at Yuuei, and he felt he'd hit the perfect balance, in between studying at home, and dividing his time between them and Mina.

"Urgh, I can't believe that little creep Mineta is better at this academic crap than I am."

Not that it did much to mend Mina's pride when she discovered that she was far lower in terms of academic success than the class's lecherous irritation. That had been a low-blow right to gut for her. It was during lunch when she finally cracked, and just wound up laying her head in her hands on the table in either shame or exasperation, or possibly both.

Probably both.

"You should have studied some." Asui told the despairing Acid Quirk user, her flat line way of saying things making it difficult to tell if she was even the least bit sympathetic to Mina's plight.

"Don't rub it in, Tsuyu." Mina groaned, feeling her head sink deeper into her arms.

With a very light laugh, Izuku patted her head gently, akin to what she had done to him a few days prior, as a form of comfort without needing to speak. Mina had expressed that she found the action relaxing when Izuku had absentmindedly done it on a trip through on the train line, so he just kept doing it.

He would just run his hands through her hair, allowing his fingers to slide through the silky strands of her curly hair. Her hair was soft, surprisingly more so than Izuku had ever expected it to be. It made the action pleasant for him too, so he didn't mind it whatsoever. It was nice.

"I'm more worried about the physical exam to be honest." Tooru revealed. With her Quirk making her body invisible, it appeared that a bowl and chopsticks were being Telekinetically held up in mid-air. It still sort of weirded out Izuku to see this, even though he saw it practically every day now, though he'd grown used to it.

The final exams for the semester were two part, one written, one physical. Written work wise, all that they needed to be studying was the material that had been covered up to that point. There wasn't much they could study with otherwise anyway, and while Yuuei was tough and rigorous in its tests and selection, it was inherently fair. If you had practiced and studied, you'd be fine. If not...

The issue was with the physical examination, was that no one had any sort of clue what they were supposed to expect. The teachers had absolutely refused to say a word regarding the physical assessments, telling their students to just 'Be prepared'.

That didn't tell anyone a damn thing. Were they being assessed on their actual physical abilities, like the entrance examination, their intuition, or their ability to make tough calls under pressure? Izuku had a theory that it was somewhat similar to real world scenarios - Heroes didn't get to choose what emergency they had to deal with, they just had to be ready for anything, from fires, to natural disasters, to Villain attacks.

True as that might have been, that didn't help anyone figure out what they were going to do.

The entire lunch group that day was Izuku, Mina, Iida, Uraraka, Todoroki, Tooru, and Asui, each of them discussing the theories that they had, and the methods they could potentially use. None of them particularly knew what they were expected to deal with either, though none of them seemed particularly sure on anything.

All they really could do was study for the written portion of the examinations, and keep their bodies in the best condition possible for the physical. 'Not that that last part should be a lot of trouble for you, Izuku.' Mina thought to herself slyly, hiding a smirk with her arms. She still remembered the beyond ripped figure she'd seen during their 'Hang out', now weeks ago. No question that he maintained it.

It was all so frustrating to Mina. So inconceivably irritating to her that they insisted on keeping everything so quiet, making it impossible to prepare. She wanted to go on the field trip like crazy, it sounded freaking amazing! She could already tell that the people who were able to go were gonna have a blast!

That did depend on if they passed their tests though. Both written and physical - The physical they couldn't freaking study for because they had no idea what they would be doing! How that was fair, she didn't even know.

"We'll mostly be going over what we were doing in class, right?" Uraraka suggested, although she didn't sound too sure herself. There weren't a huge number of options that they had available to them, so it was logically the only thing that she could think of.

"I can't imagine it being anything unusual." Iida had agreed.

"If its what we've gone over in class, that's... Battle Training, mostly. The Zero Gravity Quirk user recalled. She had her own utensils in her hand, but she wasn't eating anything right now, most likely due to being in the midst of a conversation.

Battle training felt like the only thing they did anymore. Between Villain attacks, and All Might being somewhat heavy on the subject when he showed up. He'd mix it up a little by having a competition or a race or something along the lines, but he did seem to have a focus on fighting.

Was that due to how much danger the class had already encountered? Life certainly hadn't been the easiest thing in the world for them, given they were only students. Yuuei was harsh in the first place. Villain attacks made it feel like they'd just signed up for a tour of war.

"Rescue training and Cavalry training too." Asui added on. They had plenty of classes on those, but the ratio felt a bit skewed at times.

Izuku nodded, making mental notes to re-study all of this, and go over some of the notes in the books he had written down over the years. S"o on top of studying, we need to keep as fit as we possibly - Ow!" He suddenly made an exclamation of pain, his head suddenly lurching forward. His hand automatically reached towards the back of his skull, just above the nape, and just below the bone that made up his head.

Quickly, everyone jumped to look at what had caused the classrooms resident timid nerd to make such a loud noise, Mina especially shooting her head to face her boyfriend with concern.

It quickly turned into anger.

"Oh, my apologies." Behind Izuku, a boy with blond hair and a look of what could only be described as both resentment and a self posturing fake smile that could be seen through by anyone in about three seconds. Monoma Neito, Class 1-B, everyone recognised him as almost immediately. "I couldn't get my tray out of the way of your massive head."

Mina didn't like this guy on a good day, ever since the Sports Festival. He irritated her, and she thought he might be... A little unstable was the best way to put it. Bakugou had put him in his place when she had teamed up with him for the Cavalry battle, before Izuku had shown up and become her boyfriend, back when she had a bit of respect for the Explosion Quirk user and his abilities.

Iida reacted far quicker to Class 1-B's spoken representative's words and actions than Mina did. "How dare you! That was completely uncalled for!"

For being the person who had been on the receiving end of what had basically been a grudge push past him, Izuku didn't seem too upset or even particularly concerned about Monoma's actions. How he was calm about this, Mina had no idea. She wasn't sure if she wanted Izuku to get annoyed, or to just One For All this dude through the floor.

"I do recall that I apologised." Monoma commented, his clearly fake smile growing, like he was actually sorry. He was trying to act civil on the outside, while getting under their skin on the inside, so no one could call him out on it directly. "It isn't my fault your classmate has as big a head as the rest of you."

"Do you want a fight?!" Mina asked, one step away from just getting up and decking this guy with his own dinner tray. She knew that this guy had the impression that Class 1-A was filled to the brim with egotists, thanks to Bakugou and his attitude. Either this guy had a superiority complex, was completely insane, or was just an idiot.

Whatever it was, Mina had spoken before she'd even thought about it.

"W-Woah, M-Mina!" Izuku rapidly tried to calm down his girlfriend, placing a hand in her shoulder. His eyes were so wide in surprise they threatened to pop out like one of his old classmate's Quirk. "It - It doesn't even hurt anymore! It doesn't matter!"

"A skull thick like yours, I'm not surprised."

Less than a second later, Mina could already feel her Acid beginning to secrete from the back on her hands. This wasn't like her, but God damn, was this guy a pain in the neck. She'd never felt the urge more in her life to give someone a Hydrofluoric burn scar.

"I heard you had an encounter with the Hero Killer."

For a second, Mina stopped her Quirk, in shock more than anything. Of course, it wasn't a secret that Izuku, Iida and Todoroki had run into that guy. The news officially said that Todoroki's father Endeavour had been the one to save them, though it felt like something was a bit off when Mina had heard about how it had gone down from Izuku himself. Like he was lying, but it wasn't something he was allowed to say. She hadn't pried when he told her. It would be unfair to put him in that position.

The mention of The Hero Killer Stain seemed to catch the attention of both Iida and Todoroki, causing them to pay attention to what their sister class' essential spokesperson was. It was clear though, they appreciated the mention about as much as Mina did.

"So I guess The Sports Festival wasn't enough. Your class just has to keep getting attention with stunt after stunt, huh?" His hair shadowing his eyes, Monoma continued to speak. If he was finding amusement out of this mocking, or if he was just an idiot was hard to tell at this point. "But it's starting to get dangerous now, isn't it? It's looking like all that attention isn't all it's cracked up to be."

There was a certain level of trash talking Mina was prepared to take when it was directed at herself. She had pink skin, horns, and an overall odd appearance, she was used to it by some bastard children she'd grown up with, and it reached a point that she just didn't care anymore. No one mocked the girl who would headbutt people with horns growing out of her forehead when they stepped over the line.

That was her though. And this scumbag was out of line. Izuku hadn't done anything to this guy. As far as she knew, this was the first time they'd even spoken to one another, and Monoma was treating him like dirt for Bakugou's actions. And it wasn't even just her boyfriend either, but the rest of her friends were also getting treated like crap by this guy. He was jealous, that was all it was. He was envious of Class 1-A's spotlight - Like they'd asked to be attacked by Villains!

Izuku dealt with enough crap. His entire childhood had been that, and his own Quirk still screwed him over a fair bit right now, and he was nothing - Nothing - But kind to people. Even to those who didn't deserve that kindness. It amazed Mina that he hadn't thrown Bakugou all the way across the seas and into China yet.

He hadn't so much as given this guy a glance, and this was how he was gonna get treated by this Quirk Copier?

This guy thought not only him, but Iida and Todoroki all nearly getting killed was funny? Something to be made a joke out of?

Consequences be damned.

Feeling her muscles tensing up as she got ready to stand up and scream this guy stupid, Mina felt her Quirk activating again. Though it would require someone observant, her Quirk began to dissolve the part of the table her fingers were now dug into. "You son of a -"

"Not funny, Monoma." Before Mina got the chance, another student she recognised as a Class B pupil came up behind him, stole his tray out of his hands, and whacked him with some serious force on the back of his neck with the side of her hand, like a karate chop. It sent Monoma lurching forwards and even collapse, held up by the girl's hand that she'd just used to beat him with.

It took her a few moments, but Mina recalled the name of this particular student as Kendou Itsuka. She didn't quite remember what her Quirk was, but she had placed high enough to enter the Cavalry battle, so her power must have been fairly decent at the least.

"You didn't hear about what happened to Iida, did you?" She chastised her classmate, though it didn't even look like he was able to hear her at this point. She then turned towards the table, and tried to put of a friendly smile, but it was slightly eclipsed her what Mina presumed to be either embarrassment of exasperation. "Really sorry about this guy! We're not all like that, I promise!"

"I hope not." Mina muttered, looking at the Copy Quirk user's pain before back up to the ginger haired girl who'd knocked him out. Something told her that she didn't want to get into a fight with this girl if she could help it. "What's up with him, anyway?"

"He's kind of crazy." Kendo chuckled. "He's sort of…. Well, don't let him get to you, he's mostly talk." She reminded Mina of herself and her siblings, how she'd give them a small tap if they misbehaved and put them back in line, particularly with Mika and her damn Lego.

She did have to blink a few sharp times when she realized just how worked up with Monoma and his efforts to pick a fight with Izuku, and frankly, it surprised even herself. If he'd kept going and hadn't been interrupted by the President of Class 1-B, she didn't actually know if she would have snapped or not. It actually scared her.

For a short while, she just sat there and zoned out for a short while, looking at Monoma being essentially held up and dragged along by Kendou as the strawberry blonde girl spoke to the rest of the table about something or other. She had to wonder, where had that anger even come from? She wasn't the type to get riled up like that so easily.

Then again, it was probably the same reason that she got angry with Bakugou when she learned just how deep the extent he and Izuku's relationship went, and how ruthlessly serious Bakugou was when he mocked and insulted his old childhood friend.

Not anger for her sake, but rather, for Izuku's.

"They're not detestable." Kendou suddenly chopped the back of Monoma's neck again, before dragging him away towards a table of their classmates, one of them making a joke at their most outspoken member's expense as he was pulled along the floor and placed into a seat by their representative.

"That's got to be great news for you, Ashido." Asui commented towards her fellow Mutant Type friend. What she was referring to, Mina had no real idea.

"H-Huh?" Mina looked between all of the people on the table, before she blinked a few times before returning back to reality. "Sorry, I sorta zoned out there, what're you talking about, Tsuyu?"

"About the physical examination." The Frog girl explained. "Kendou just told us that she's been told it's similar to the entrance exam, with robots being our enemies."

"Wait, seriously?!"

"Yeah!" Izuku confirmed with a nod of his head. "You have issues with your Quirk when it comes to controlling it against people, right? I thought that might be a drawback to your Quirk." Without really realising the absurdity of the action, Izuku reached into his back where he procured one of his notebooks he used to keep tabs on everyones Quirks, and flipped to the page that had his girlfriend drawn in, with all the details regarding her Quirk. "Acid's a strong Quirk, and it's pretty useful for stealth missions as well as close to medium range distances, but it's also really difficult to dial back to a non-lethal level against people, isn't it? You'd have to take i to account all sorts of variables at a moment's notice to ensure that your power would even hurt your target without actually making it fatal for them, but with robots, that's just not the case."

For about the seventh time that day, Mina had to blink hard in order to register what was going on in front of her. She knew that Izuku did keep a record on the Quirks that he observed, it being a hobby of his since he was a very young child, he claimed. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did that he had one on hers in there someplace.

It was pretty apparent though, with Shoji and Fumikage's Quirks also in there by hers, that he had sketched out this before their relationship had ever begun. Probably before they'd even spoken. She'd seen drawings that were of a better quality than the one he'd done of her in his book, though she knew that it was pretty clear that he didn't focus on artistry as he did on facts.

She couldn't help but smile though. "I'm not sure how I feel about knowing you'd sketched me before you'd even spoke to me, Izuku." She smirked at the embarrassment that he clearly felt when he realised that he'd just gone on one of his muttered rants. "You're serious though? We're just gonna be fighting robots again for the field test?"

"That's what Kendou just told us." Tooru confirmed, her bowl raising up just an inch or two as she spoke. It was sort of her way of nodding to help punctuate her point.

At this, Mina threw her hands behind her head and smiled broadly, feeling a tidal wave of relief hit her entire body. "Oh thank God! If its like the entrance exam, then its no problem! If Yaoyarozu is gonna be tutoring me, then I'm golden!" The lack of need to dial back her Quirk meant that she could do exactly what she did on the day that she applied for this school - Go absolutely crazy with her unrestricted Quirk for about fifteen minutes and net a place with room to spare.

"Don't rely on Yaoyarozu for all your studying needs." Iida commented. "Take the initiative and make sure that you brush up on the areas you're weakest at yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She knew that she probably should heed her friend's advice, although right now, she was way too giddy to particularly care. With the information she'd just got, there was no way in hell that she could mess this up! If she'd managed to actually get into Yuuei, this should, theoretically, be a piece of cake!

* * *

Kaminari had practically the same reaction that Mina had when she told him what she knew, the clear relief in his face was almost blinding. He and Mina did a small dance at the front they were that pumped, the pair of them throwing their fists into the air without much care whatsoever. Kaminari was the only person below Mina in terms of their grades, so they had wound up being fairly good friends. The bad part of that was, they couldn't really use each other to study or bounce questions from one to the other.

He was practically worthless in that respect, though he was a fun guy to be around when he was just relaxing.

"Those two seem happy." Todoroki commented on their small back and forth from his group, consisting of himself, Izuku, Iida and Uraraka, all hunched around Izuku's desk.

The day had nearly ended, which would release them from the school grounds once the bell hand rung. With their Hero Classes replaced by revision sessions, the group had been faced with a long couple of hours of revising, during which Mina hadn't actually told Kaminari the news until the end of the session.

Uraraka meanwhile, was speaking with Izuku about the revision that they had just done, and was showing him the work that she had completed, asking for his opinion about certain things in her notebooks. He'd noted a few mistakes in her arithmetic, including a couple of things to do with the proper use of powers for Heroes and state sponsored individuals, but for the most part, she seemed okay.

Scribbling a few notes down on her page, Izuku handed her book back to her. "That should help you out a bit. If you need any more help, just let me know."

Sighing, Uraraka smiled. "Thanks, Deku. I might need your help again. These semester exams are messing with me." She wasn't anywhere near as smart as her friends who were at the top of the class, which didn't do a large amount to help her confidence in this scenario. Iida was sixth, Todoroki fifth, and Deku fourth. She meanwhile was way up there are about thirteen, which didn't so sit well with her.

"No problem." Izuku smiled at his brunette friend kindly. He then tilted his head just past her slightly, to see Mina and Kaminari still doing their back and forth dance routine, or whatever the heck it was, which promptly out a smile on the green haired teenager.

Following his line of sight, Uraraka noticed what he was smiling at. For a few moments, she didn't say anything. Instead, she closed her notebook and held it just above her chest "... Ashido's pretty out there, huh?"

"That's a way to put it." Chuckled Izuku. "She's a lot less reserved than I am."

Wasn't that the truth? If Uraraka ever saw Izuku doing that sort of ridiculous dance, she might actually end up killing herself from laughing too much. The two of them honestly could not be more different if they tried, yet they got along so well that it defied logic itself.

Izuku was shy, and Mina was outgoing. He was an average person without any physical features, whereas she was a Mutant shape type and couldn't look less like a regular Human if she tried. He was smart, and Mina... Struggled, Uraraka thought to herself.

"...You know, you've changed a lot since you and Ashido hooked up." The Zero Gravity Quirk user commented without thinking. When she realised what she said, she placed her fingers over her lips like she'd just slapped someone. Quickly, she turned to look at Izuku, who didn't show offence in the least.

"How so?" He inquired, sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh, um, you're just kind of... I don't know, you seem more confident more than anything else." It wasn't a lie of any kind. Everyone was able to attest that since he had been able to refine his Quirk, he had grown more outspoken and... "You're more outgoing as well, though you're still pretty shy. And well... You're really sweet with Ashido. I mean, you're normally really nice, but, it's different with her."

The last one did cause Izuku to go pink in his cheeks, and a small grin made its way to his embarrassed face. "O-Oh?"

"I see why you like her."

It wasn't hard to see why from an outsider's perspective. While they might be total opposites, they did fit and complement one another well. Someone lively like Ashido was bound to bring out the shy type like Izuku from their shells. And regardless of what Uraraka felt about it, she couldn't deny that they went together well.

She'd never seen Izuku or Mina seem happier.

While he was a blushing mess and in a series of awkward chuckles, he was able to get a few coherent words out, along the lines of if Uraraka really did think this sort of thing. It was obvious, he loved Ashido, even if he couldn't say it aloud.

Putting a smile on her face, Uraraka gave her best friend a thumbs up with her left hand. "Well I hope things work out for you two, Deku. Good luck!"

* * *

Upon request, Mina had hung back with Izuku once the final bell for the day had gone, and she didn't even need to be told what it was that he wanted to talk about before she knew. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he was concerned, to say the least.

Even she was concerned about it, and she knew what it was that had riled her up so much.

It wasn't like her, she knew this all too well. Monoma wasn't the type of person who would normally be able to get a reaction from her like that. It took someone a lot more pretentious, and someone who was obviously more of a threat that wasn't just someone who was arbitrarily jealous for no reason, to make Mina show any sort of anger towards someone.

Generally speaking, she was calm when it came to things like that. She'd dealt with a bunch of bastard kids when she'd grown up, and had developed a thick skin. By the time she was in middle school, no one really cared, since half of them weren't much better than her.

So it had been at least three years since she'd truly gotten furious. About that long since she'd actually wanted to use her Quirk on someone who really wasn't worth it.

She told Izuku all of this quickly, before he'd even asked the question. There wasn't really a point in waiting around for him to ask. In as much detail condensed into as little time as possible, she explained her rage towards Monoma, and why she'd been so aggressive towards him. An out of character action for her to take.

"Why did you get so upset though?"

Izuku's next question came, and Mina almost face palmed herself at him asking the most obvious question in the universe. For someone who was as smart as him, he really was an idiot at times. She wasn't sure if she was about to burst out laughing or not, she really struggled to tell. "Why d'you think, Izuku? He spoke crap about you, that's why."

"That's it? Mina, it's not that big a deal – "

"The Hero Killer almost _killed_ you." The response from the pink girl was so swift and sharp it made Izuku jump. When he saw Mina lower her head and bring her hands together, he relaxed and understood. "He tried to make a joke out of you getting killed, like it wasn't going to affect anyone… It's just infuriating that he thinks he's…" Mina suddenly became very quiet, and her hair hide her blackened eyes as she went quieter.

There were still things that Izuku knew he didn't quite fully understand yet about being in a relationship. He was aware that, despite everything that he had been though, and what he and Mina felt for one another, there was always going to be a part of him that wouldn't be able to predict the kinds of things she would be thinking and feeling.

Once the deal with Stain had been dealt with, Izuku hadn't thought too much about it afterwards. Sure, it still haunted him in a sense, but he had grown past it, and managed to reach a point in his life where he felt that he had taken that experience and learned from it.

Mina didn't. She hadn't been there, she didn't know what had gone down. From her perspective, the only things that she knew were the things that the media told her.

And the media told her he had nearly died, saved only by Endeavour. That had been part of the deal made to allow him, Todoroki and Iida to keep their freedom, and they had honoured that agreement, unfair as it might have been. But how would that loo to their families, to their friends?

To his girlfriend? Even though at the time, even saying that they were friends was still a whole new bizarre world in itself, enough had happened between them now to make Mina retroactively look at that, and realize just how close things had gotten to Izuku never having seen her again. For the next time she seeing him to be in a picture on the news with the word 'Victim' underneath.

But it was more than that too, Izuku figured out.

"You've dealt with enough crap in your life, haven't you?" Mina asked, looking up at him now, not sure if her expression was one of sadness or one of disbelief with Izuku's calmness. "I don't get how you're so calm towards people like that. Like Bakugou. You've every right to throw him through a brick wall and you just… I can't stand it, seeing people treat you like that. Don't you get sick of it?"

"I'm used to it." The green haired boy explained with a soft smile.

"You shouldn't have to be." His girlfriend muttered underneath her breath.

Without another word being spoken, Izuku took a step forward, and pulled Mina into a tight hug, holding her close as possible. The action was unexpected, and Izuku himself was surprised he'd done such a bold action, but nonetheless, he held his girlfriend tightly in his arms, enjoying the fact that he was just an inch or two taller than her.

She was angry on his behalf… She didn't need to be, but she was anyway, and that was touching. It showed she did care, and that she was willing to stand up to the people who she felt were in the wrong when it came to how they treated Izuku. He felt the same way, hypocritical as it sounded. He knew if someone was unfairly harassing or mocking Mina, he'd be the first person to rush to her defence.

Perhaps that was just part of what loving someone was.

For a moment, Mina didn't react, but she quickly did, returning the hug with as much vigour as ever. "Sorry." She apologised, before resting her head on Izuku's left shoulder. She allowed her eyes to close, and a smile to make its way onto her face.

"What for?" Izuku questioned, confused.

"For making you worry."

"…It's alright."

Both of them remained stood there for a few moments, just enjoying being close to one another, not really needing to speak. Both of them still had plenty to learn about the other, they knew, including how they thought, and how they acted in certain situations. It was a revelation to the both of them that they still needed to get to know one another even more.

Not that it was a bad thing.

"We should go on a proper date." Mina suggested. "We haven't really gone out in a while." It was true. They spent a lot of time together, but nothing that could be classified as a date of any kind. The two had been preoccupied with school and various drama that was going on in their lives.

"D-Don't you need to be studying for the Semester exams?"

"A couple hours isn't gonna be that big a deal. We could go out after school during this week, if that's okay with you?"

"W-Wouldn't the weekends be better?"

"Yaoyarozu's helping me and the others study, remember?"

"O-Oh yeah..." Izuku admitted, he did like the idea of actually getting to go on a proper date with her again. Wasn't the last proper date they had been on when he had visited her family's house? Even that had been cut short due to aforementioned visit to aforementioned house, so they hadn't really had much time to do anything that a boyfriend and girlfriend were traditionally expected to do. "I'm… Okay with doing that if you are."

"Sounds fun." Mina happily confirmed.

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter is a little late, but college and my girlfriend take priority these days - Even though she reads this. At any rate, Mina was a bit OOC in this chapter - It was very intentional. A lot of you guys said that she seemed to be getting protective of Izuku, which makes a lot of sense to me - And frankly, I feel like Monoma needs a bit of a reality check. He does amuse me, though good lord is he insane.**

 **But yes, Mina was intentionally done to be a bit OOC here. I hope you guys did enjoy this chapter, and I hope to see you next time. the support for this story has been amazing, and I love writing this story for that very reason. thanks all you guys, and I'll see you next time. ^_^ See ya!**


	17. Random Chance

Thursday was the day that Izuku and Mina decided to go on the date they had discussed, both having caught up on as much of their work and revision that they could leading up to this point, which they could use for a break in their constant studies and just enjoy themselves for a while. They had agreed to meet at about six in the evening, which was far later than they normally met up, only really separating from one another at all to change into more comfortable and fitting clothes.

Neither of them were particularly bothered about doing any of the traditionally accepted activities that went along with dates, so neither of them planned to dress up formally or particularly neatly either. Things came as they came, and mostly at Mina's persuasion, they would normally just walk around the city until they found something that appealed to them.

This time around, Izuku had said that he would call round for Mina at her house, his logic for doing so being twofold. Reason one, it would give Mina an additional hour to get herself ready which, if she was sensible, she could use to study some more before they went out. She needed every moment she could get. Were it not for the fact he also wanted to take a break and wanted to spend time with her, he would have refused the date until he was convinced she was completely studied up on everything,

The second reason he gave was that he was abnormally sure if they left from his location, they'd run into Bakugou, which right now, neither of them had the energy or willpower to deal with. Stress from exams was enough, the last thing either of them wanted to deal with was his literally explosive temper. Just the risk was enough to make Mina agree.

These days, she was convinced that she was a step away from scarring the blond Explosion Quirk user.

Mina hooked one of the bands that usually went around a person's wrists around her right horn, the purple beads quickly retracting on the elastic and tightly fastening themselves around the extremity. She'd done this a few times before back in middle school when she and her friends went out, sometimes with ribbons and once with a flag that they had equipped to her for sports day. It wasn't unusual for her to do this with her mutations. Her horns weren't unusual, at least not to her. In the rare moments in which she did worry about them, she didn't consider them much more than visible bone. And at all other times, they were a part of her anatomy, and she felt no different between accessorising her wrists or neck like she did her horns.

She didn't bother with makeup either. There was literally no point, her skin complexion made most traditional uses of the stuff completely ineffective. Pink, as it turned out, didn't help too much when a lot of makeup was either red or pink, didn't go with pink, or just straight up didn't show up against her skin. That last one was partly due to her Quirk, her body secreted Acid at will, but the effects could sometimes linger which messed with chemicals. Sort of like wet paint in a sense. She had ordered some specially designed stuff in the past, balanced and altered especially to suit her, but that was far too expensive for her to bother doing it again. Clothes and the likes, necessities, that was one thing. One could get alterations done cheaply for mutant types, but for things that weren't essential to living, such as cosmetics, they cost dramatically more.

She just went with what she naturally had, and what she had was a large, expressive wardrobe filled with all sorts of unique and colourful clothing. She selected out a bunch of clothes before shifting through them. It was practically summer at this point, so the weather was warm, even in the later evenings, but once the sun finally set, it took the temperature with it, and it would become far colder. It wasn't anything Mina couldn't handle though, so as she enjoyed doing so, she planned to dress light.

Scanning through her clothes, Mina flipped her way past brightly and dimly coloured shirts and pullover jumpers. She thanked God that Izuku was the same as her in that he disliked formal attire for something like a date, because the number of neat dresses she owned was pretty disproportional to the ones that were more expressive and colourful. Now brightly coloured, expressive and beautiful ones, those she had a number of. Nothing too expensive or anything like that, just eye catching ones and ones she thought looked beautiful.

God help her if Yuuei ever had a formal ball or something like that. It wasn't that important to her, but Mina did enjoy stylish clothes that allowed for some sort of expression.

She skimmed past those though, not having a particular interest in wearing a dress to go out when she and Izuku themselves had no idea where they were going. For something more solid, like if they knew for a fa that all they would do that day would be see a movie, for example, Mina might have decided to do so, to indulge a bit, but she was more than aware of how hectic things could get. Especially around Izuku. She could swear that he had some sort of magnet attached to him that especially targeted Villains and drama wherever he went. He was a lightning rod for the stuff.

Eventually, she made the decision to wear light navy blue combination. It consisted of a pair of matching shorts and over-jacket that was cut off just above her waistline. Underneath the jacket however, she sported a cut-off top that covered her chest, and that was about it, par the incredibly short sleeves that barely even went down her shoulders. Said top was covered in a random series of camouflage patterns, just like her Hero Costume, only in duller brown and blacks. It'd keep her cool while the temperature was still high, and with any luck, it wouldn't wind up being too cold. The clothes were loose fitting, but something Mina was prepared to deal with. She wore something similar when she went out dancing back in middle school.

With her clothing selected and equipped, Mina laid down in her bed, having had just about as much studying that she could take for one night. Probably the entire week, had Yaoyarozu not offered to help her and a small group of other struggling students study. She knew for a fact that her help would be immeasurable, and she wasn't going to pass up the chance to get this information soaked into her brain.

That would be on Saturday though. After that, they would have a day or two of written examinations and that would be followed by a full day filled with practical assessments, and the main event on which they would be graded on. Today though, she was looking forward to her date with Izuku.

There was a lot to think about though for Mina regarding her boyfriend, ranging from all manner of things. She didn't have too many doubts about his ability to pass the examinations, he was smart enough that he'd probably be able to get by on that alone, if it were an option to do so. His physical abilities were improving with his slowly growing control of his Quirk though, so he would probably be okay there.

It still did boggle Mina's mind that Izuku was Quirkless originally. The prospect of Quirks having the capacity to be handed down was still an idea she had trouble getting her head around, not to mention that All Might was... The way he was. So much of everything added up with that simple claim that a Quirk could be passed down from person to person that it made Mina want to laugh. She almost felt stupid for not thinking of it herself. Only the knowledge that the rest of her class hadn't figured it out either reminded her that to the rest of the world, it was truly a bizarre set of circumstances, unheard of by anyone else.

And that knowledge really was what made Izuku seem that more special. He'd managed to impress All Might to that extent, to pass down his Quirk onto him.

He certainly did seem to be more heroic than Mina felt right about now. She knew that he'd saved Bakugou from a sludge Villain while said classmate was still bullying him for being Quirkless, an action Mina still couldn't see herself taking, or an action she saw anyone she knew taking. How Izuku managed to out aside the anger he must have had was beyond her, but thinking about it... That had to be good for a Hero, didn't it? A Hero had to be able to put their anger to the side and save everyone they could, regardless of who they were.

The rhetoric that had been used in the beginning of the age of Heroes was that a Hero would never be able to fully set aside biases in their work. Political beliefs, religious ideology, their relationships with the people in question, all these and many, many more would affect a Hero when they had to make a split second decision. So after that point, Heroes had to make sure that they saved anyone and everyone that they could.

Izuku already could do that, it seemed.

But Mina on the other hand... She was still angry at Bakugou. Given everything that she had heard about him, and how she saw him acting these days, everything combined to make this giant ball of disgust she felt towards the Explosion Quirk user. Before Izuku, she might have even considered him a friend, as she respected his skills a lot. Now, she barely wanted anything to do with the guy. Izuku having earned his Quirk had made Mina realise something.

Bakugou was born lucky. Izuku had to fight like hell to even be able to stand up. Bakugou hadn't had to work hard to have even a slim prayer of achieving what he wanted to achieve. Izuku had literally thrown himself into danger more times than reasonable a Quirkless boy.

It spoke volumes as to their characters. And as of late, now that she knew the truth about everything, Bakugou just pissed her off now. At the same time, it made her realise just how lucky she was, and how privileged she and every other person who was born with a Quirk was. It was hard to remember that not everyone was born with a power like hers.

Not everyone was born equal. No matter how much that knowledge upset her, there wasn't anything anyone could do. Quirks were random. She had one of the strongest Quirks in her family by pure luck. The day would come where being Quirkless simply didn't exist... But that didn't remove the prospects of having a worthless power.

Some people would just have to fight like hell. Some people would have to work like Izuku did. That was all there was to it.

Mina sighed and closed her eyes. Her thinking had drifted towards this particular topic due to the upcoming practical exams. Would Izuku be alright? She kept reminding herself that his improvement showed that of course he'd be okay... But she still worried. It was impossible not to.

She sighed again immediately after the first one. She was worrying way too much. She was looking forward to this date to take her mind off of things.

As soon as she thought this, she could hear the door downstairs being opened, followed by Micha calling her name about ten seconds later. "Hey, Pinky, tall and cute adorable fluff-ball's here for ya!"

"Screw you too, Micha!" Mina yelled back down to her brother with a smile, before she practically jumped off her bed and back upright. Scooping up the bag that she always took with her one regular outings that was at the foot of her bed, Mina did a quick scan to make sure she had everything.

Money in her pockets, passes and ID in her bag in case she needed them, and she was good to head out. She debated grabbing a proper jacket from her wardrobe, but she decided that she didn't want the extra baggage.

With everything ready, Mina quickly made her way out her room and around the banister guard that ran around her stairway, and went down a few steps. The balcony of the second floor blocked her view of the doorway on the first floor for a few moments. Until she was about halfway down the stairs, she didn't even see Izuku. When she finally did see him, he was being harassed by Micha, throwing a flurry of questions designed to embarrass and fluster his sister's boyfriend in any way that she could.

"So I'm guessing that the plan is to get Mina somewhere private, yeah?" He asked, his arms folded and a smirk no doubt wide on his face. There wasn't any doubt in Mina's mind that Micha was having the time of his life messing with Izuku. No doubt that her brother was going to jump from persona to persona, from the playful, friendly, banterous friend, to the threatening, intimidating protective older brother. He was having fun seeing the varying reactions that he was bound to get. Of course, he meant absolutely no ill intent whatsoever. He actually rather liked Izuku, and he didn't have a thing against him.

Not that he was going to tell Izuku that, of course.

First time she had seen him that evening, he was already in a scarlet red fluster, his entire face, from the cut of his neck and right to his ears. They were burning right up, standing out so clearly against the black hoodie he had apparently decided to wear. Mina could swear that the heat was going to cause the jacket to burst into flames if Micha didn't let up. "Th - Tha - That's n - not what's - I - I - We don't do.. That..." He quickly fell silent and tried to look away. He hadn't seen Mina yet.

"I hope not, you're both barely past sixteen. And my sister isn't exactly available for that sort of thing."

"I'll decide if I am, thanks, Micha." Announced Mina, making her way down the last couple of steps with a huge grin on her face. "You're really bad at the whole 'Intimidating older brother' thing. You're about as scary as a wasp without any wings."

When she had spoken, Izuku finally threw himself out of his own embarrassment and blushing to see his girlfriend in slightly more revealing clothing than he'd remembered seeing her wear in the past. Loose fitting, yes, but nothing outright revealing. With the clothes she was wearing, her stomach was bare, right down to her waist, where she wore a matching colour set of shorts which were reminiscent of their first hang out together, in that they were ridiculously short, with the sole intention of gauging a reaction from an awkward Midoriya. Though that probably wasn't the case, Izuku sure felt like it was, and he was even more embarrassed at how easily it had worked. He instantly became even more flustered than he had been before, this time out of affection than intimidation. He suddenly lost all of his speaking abilities, and found his eyes glued.

Turning to see his younger sister with the grin on her face, Micha quickly responded with sarcasm. "You sure? He's certainly shut himself up now."

Yeah, I'm sure you had plenty to do with that." Responded the younger Ashido sibling with equal amounts of sarcasm at her brother's attempts at a joke. She bounced her way down the last few steps before she reached their round, greeting Izuku with a tight hug that brought him close. "Hey, Izuku."

"H-Hey, M-Mina."

"Oh great, you brought his stuttering back." Mina mock scolded Micha once she let go of Izuku. "Great work, bro."

"Well, making your life an absolute pain is my job, Mina." Grinned her brother before he stood upright and returned to his normal friendly self. "Alright, Mom said she wants you back before eleven. If you wanna get another hour of studying in, be back for ten. Trust me, leave it too long, and you'll get screwed over. Don't screw up like I did. Otherwise, go nuts you two. Gimme a call if you need a lift back."

"Can you even drive, Micha? You're only seventeen." Mina called out.

"Yeah, but I'm a natural. Work gives me a driver's permit, and I've got a provisional."

"Okay then, lemme rephrase that. Can you even _legally_ drive?"

"When was the last time you saw a cop around here?"

"You know we're both training to be Heroes, right?"

"If Yuuei staff'll let freakin' Vigilantes off once in a while, I'm sure you can overlook your big brother picking up you and your girlfriend, can't she, Midoriya?"

"H-Huh? M-Me?"

"Just don't get anyone killed, alright Micha? And try not to melt the steering wheel. Someone's gonna need that after you're done with it." Mina sighed before she suddenly took hold of Izuku's hand and turned heel, dragging Izuku down the pathway that he had just walked up, before her brother could get another wisecrack out.

Because she knew he had at least one wisecrack ready to go. He wouldn't be her brother if he didn't.

The two of them made their way in a small silence for a few seconds, until they managed to get out of the Ashido driveway, before they stopped to actually look at one another. Without any real input or words from either of them, they just stared for a brief moment, and then smiled, and then burst out laughing at the absurdity that had just gone down.

"S-Sorry about my brother!" The pink girl managed to apologise between fits of giggles and ear-splitting grins. She managed to suppress her laughter for long enough to inform Izuku that, "He's just messing with you. I think he actually likes you. Normally he just throws things at the guys I'm friends with."

"He - He does?"

"Nah, I was just kidding." Mina hummed, before she closed the gap between the two of them and rested her head on Izuku's shoulder as they walked. Letting out a small laugh, she added on, "Well, half kidding. He once threw a notebook and a pencil case at my poor buddy Kazuto. Joke was on him though. It was his own pencil case he'd thrown. Kazuto just ran off with it. Still has it, I think."

Though her sudden movement closer towards him had made him stiffen up for a brief moment, Izuku quickly relaxed into the close comfort that Mina brought with her. A few weeks ago, he'd still be a stuttering, gibberish mess of a person whenever physical contact of any kind was made with his girlfriend, but now, he was accustomed to it. Slightly. He was getting better at being close to her, and wasn't reduced to a wobbling excuse of meat. Now, her being so close gave him a sense of relaxation and calmness, as well as joy and amusement. She could talk about her friend, and despite having never met the guy she was talking about, Izuku couldn't help but laugh at the antics she and him had gotten themselves into. Mina's stories were often really fun to just listen to. She conveyed all the energy that she must have felt at the time into her stories without even really seeming to try.

He laughed along with Mina as her recalled memory, his hand subconsciously making its way to her shoulder to hold her close. He didn't notice when his hand made contact with her, but she did. "Is he one of your friends from middle school?"

"Oh, nah, he was a friend before I moved. Been a while since I saw him to be honest." Mina snuggled closer into the crook of Izuku's neck, which caused her hair to tickle against his skin lightly. "So yeah, normally Micha loses his shit with the people who annoy him. Literally loses his shit, cause apparently everyone I know is a kleptomaniac."

"Uh... I'm not a kleptomaniac?" Izuku asked, not entirely certain if he was being accused of stealing something or not.

"Stole my heart, didn't you?"

And suddenly, Izuku was thrown into the hottest blush of his life, a record that seemed to keep getting topped whenever Mina was around. The record for breaking records could probably be awarded to Mina, he was sure. His stammer came back like a hit to the back of the head with a hammer, and he became all too aware of how close the two of them were already.

On the other hand, Mina was laughing like a lunatic. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for a chance to use that line!"

"You - You seem to like making me embarrassed way too much..."

"What can I say? Your pain is adorable."

* * *

The main city was as busy as one would normally expect from one of the busiest metropolitan districts in the entire world. Packed, totally and completely. People of all shapes, Quirks and sized all packed into a huge city. It wasn't really much of a surprise that the place gave rise to hundreds of thousands of Villains every year. So much raw aggression packed into a comparatively small space, fights were destined to break out, especially with Quirks around.

Although it seemed like the Gods favoured Mina and Izuku that particular day, since there was little in the way of criminal activity that meant that the Heroes had to close down a large number of the streets. Apparently the Villains decided to be on their best behaviour for the young couples date, something that they were both thankful for. The sheer number of times they got thrown into horrible situations was borderline ridiculous. It was nice to be able to not have to worry about some maniac with a sharpening type Quirk trying to cut their hearts out.

"So, what d'ya wanna do?" The Acid Quirk user asked, skipping ahead of Izuku for a few steps before turning around to face him, and walking backwards, somehow able to predict when she was about to hot into someone, and scooted to the sides whenever she was.

"Um... I don't know. I don't know this particular part of the city that well... You probably know it better than I do." Despite being a local, the inheritor to One For All wasn't familiar with the layout closest to where Mina lived. He was essentially a total stranger to the place. He'd need a map before he would be able to properly navigate the area.

"I dunno what I feel like doing. Your call."

"I- This was your idea, and you know the area better. It should be your call on what we do. I-I don't mind anything."

"Well, we aren't gonna get anywhere anytime soon, are we?" Mina smirked. She reached into her pocket, and produced a small coin, which she placed on top of her tucked in thumb. Looking both left and right, and then straight forward, she then turned to her date. "Here's an idea. Heads, we go left. Tails, we go right. If I drop the coin, we go straight ahead. We do that three times, and make a date out of whatever the heck happens to be where we end up. How's that sound?"

There was a part of Izuku that actually really liked the idea. Not only was it totally fair, it added an unknown element to the area that they were at. There wasn't any way for it to be fixed at all, unless what Mina was going to use to humiliate him today was three blocks ahead. He trusted her though to not do something like that.

So he agreed with a smile on his face. "Sure."

A second later, a coin was falling back towards gravity, which Mina promptly caught, to reveal that the coin had landed up heads, meaning they took the left at the crossroads, to what appeared to be almost a perfectly identical crossroads. Two more coin flips had them headed left one more, and then straight ahead.

And Izuku regretted his choices not five minutes ago the very second he saw what was on this street. Worse, it was the only possible place that they could viably make a date of on this entire block, the rest being regular bars and establishments people their age weren't allowed into. The one place they were allowed into was at the corner of the street, almost like some sort of throwaway area for teenagers to go instead of getting drunk.

A Karaoke bar.

"Oh, awesome!" As if to intentionally parallel Izuku's clear horror of this sort of establishment, Mina's eyes were wide open and her smile had become almost childish. If they were to obey the rules of the game they had done, unless one of them had secretly been eighteen the entire time, it wasn't like Mina was just deciding on the location for them. Even if they went into one of the other many bars and stores on this particular street, they wouldn't be able to do much of anything while there. "Always wanted to see if you could sing, Izuku."

"I-I can't."

"Wow, sucks to be you right about now, huh?" His girlfriend teased him lightly, before noticing that in reality, he really wasn't in the best of states right now. He was clearly already dreading the experience, his awkward nature holding true.

In a small enclosed room, with a few of his closest friends, on a sugar rush and late at night, he might - Might - be convinced to join in as one of the singers in one of those band video games. He'd done so once in his life, back in kindergarten before anyone had developed their Quirks. This couldn't be more out of his comfort zone though, no matter how hard someone tried to make him more uncomfortable. The only thing that he'd hate to deal with more in this scenario would be a large group of Villains, but at least fighting a large group of Villains would be constructive to him achieving his goal of becoming a Hero. This places only functionality was to get him to make a total fool of himself.

"Hey, we don't have to if you don't wanna." Mina said suddenly, breaking Izuku out of his nervous thought process. "I know you're normally shy around people you don't know. We could go somewhere else if you're not comfortable doing something here." Her soft smile assured him that she truly didn't mind, but at the same time, he was certain that she had to be at least a little disappointed at the prospect of abandoning the Karaoke Bar. Something told Izuku that she had done this sort of activity before. She was the sort or person would enjoy this kind of thing.

She probably came to a place like this on the weekends for fun, to make an idiot of herself and laugh herself stupid.

"...Lets - Let's go in." He knew he was going to regret this in about half an hour, but with Mina so clearly eager to do this sort of activity, he couldn't bring himself to suggest going anywhere else. Not only had fate decided that he needed to go here, his own soft heart wasn't going to let him upset Mina like that. All he could do was pray to God that he could get away from this madness without actually having to sing. Or make some sort of idiot out of himself.

However unlikely that it was that he'd get away with both.

"You sure?"

"Y-Yeah."

With a small smile of appreciated on her face, Mina slid her hand into Izuku's and squeezed tightly onto it, trying to give him some physical comfort that she felt that he might need. "We'll get a booth to ourselves, y'know. It's not like you're gonna have to do anything that you're uncomfortable with, and you don't have to do anything in front of anyone you don't know."

That made the idea a little easier. A little.

Both of the young students made their way inside, Mina still with her hand firmly wrapped around Izuku's, which he now returned, fighting a serious urge to tightly grip onto her hand like a clamp.

* * *

That had to be one of the single most embarrassing experiences of Izuku's life, to the point where he was actively refusing to remember any of the hell he'd just been through. He couldn't sing worth even the smallest damn, and when he attempted to, he sounded like a broken cassette player that had been thrown into a tumble-dryer with a collection of jagged rocks.

It wasn't even worth remembering, and he'd commit to never remembering any of it for as long as he lived.

"Pffffft!"

Mina on the other hand, was having the time of her life, etching his broken tone, incorrect lyrics, fluster, inability to form even the most basic of sentences, and him having bitten his tongue halfway through the one verse he was actually doing half decently. He couldn't have made himself more of a train wreck if he'd actually been in an actual train wreck

"Please stop laughing." He requested, knowing full well how in vain his efforts were. His bright red face refused to cool down, not allowing his blush to just fade into nothing.

"Na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-naaa, na na na na staarliiiiight~"

"Mina, P-Please stop."

After another fit of laughter, Mina latched herself onto Izuku's arm again with a huge grin on her face as she tried her hardest not to burst into giggles at her own impression of Izuku's, for lack of a better word, attempt, at singing. His attempts had done nothing but cause her painful, hard to hold in laughter for the better part of an hour. It had been absolutely amazing. Though she had been as respectful as humanly possible while he was doing his songs, when she got outside, she couldn't help but explode into a massive fit of roaring laughter.

"You're freakin' adorable, you know that Izuku?" The pink girl laughed, increasing how tightly she held onto his arm.

If there was one good thing that had come out of the last hour or so, it was that Izuku had got to hear Mina laugh and sing. She actually had a hidden talent for vocals, which made her performance not only bearable, but actually rather pleasant to listen to. She had been having an absolute blast of a time, it was clear.

It made Izuku smile, even despite his own embarrassment. Him getting flustered and embarrassed seemed to be par for the course in his relationship with Mina. Still, his girlfriend seemed to enjoy the date, even though it was a short time to themselves. He'd had a good time when he thought about it like that.

Not that the date was over quite yet. They still had an hour or so to kill, though that would be their travel time, most certainly, unless Mina wanted to catch the subway trains back home, which she had already stated, she didn't want to go anywhere near those damn things at this time at night. The place stuck at night, and frankly, it freaked her out. She also didn't want to deal with Micha making jokes at their expense in a car that she wasn't sure he fully knew how to drive yet. Even if he could – He was going to be a pain in the neck, no question.

Instead, the couple acquired a pair of drinks to quench their thirst after such a long time singing, and began the walk back home to Mina's home, Mina still giggling lightly, and Izuku using his cold can to cool down his hot face.

"Hey, Izuku, you worried about the exams next week?" Mina asked casually, trying to fill in a lull in the conversation as Izuku took a sip of his drink. "If its robots, I should be pretty much fine. With Yaoyarozu tutoring me and everyone on Saturday and Sunday, I think I'll be okay. You though..."

Her implications were pretty clear with what she was asking. Though she was trying not to show it, she was worried about Izuku. His skill and intellect made him a very strong candidate for passing the written test. In fact, there simply wasn't any doubt. Him passing the written test was basically guaranteed. But the physical was what was causing Mina concern.

Now that his Quirk was developing to give him some use of his power, he had a far better chance than he had a few months ago. One For All was beginning to get used to its new host, and vice versa, but that didn't mean he had total control over it. According to him, All Might said his body could use just five percent of the Quirk's total power. If that was only five percent, full power would be a monstrous force. Not a wonder that it kept breaking his bones every step of the way. But... If he was fighting robots...

Would five percent be enough? Would five percent of his Quirks full power be enough to take out machines made of steel and metal?

Honestly, Izuku spoke with a small sigh. "I'm... A little nervous about them, but I think I'll be okay. I'm a bit worried about the practical exam, since we only know a little about it. And the written exam, we don't know anything about what's on it, so I've been studying all week for it."

"How's your Quirk?"

Since Mina had learned about the power that Izuku had inherited, she had kept reasonably quiet about it. She hadn't told a single person about it, keeping her word to Izuku, but at the same time, she hadn't brought it up too frequently with Izuku himself either. This marked the first time she'd directly asked him about it, referring to it like she would a broken arm or leg. The number of times that Izuku had broken a limb due to his Quirk, it wasn't that surprising.

In reality, she knew it was more like a muscle for Izuku. She didn't think about using her Acid, but he had to think about using his Quirik, or at least, he had had to when he was figuring out how to use it. She wanted to know if he was making progress towards getting more control of his Quirk. Five percent was, in all honesty, a comparatively small amount of Quirk control, which still left him rather susceptible to backlash.

"Oh!" Izuku made an involuntary noise when it clicked exactly what Mina was asking. For some reason, he hadn't expected it, even though he probably should have by now. "Uh… I've been practicing Full Cowl to get used to it… And I haven't broken a bone in a while… So that's nice."

"Heh, I'm scared of the day you fully control that Quirk. You'll be unstoppable! Izuku 'Deku' Midoriya, Number One Hero, throws a punch so hard he knocked down the freakin' moon!" Laughing at the image that she herself had put into her head, and rested her head on Izuku's shoulder.

By this point, the two of them were out of the main city district, and the outskirts were far calmer in comparison to the district they had been in for their date, so they could afford to walk a bit slower than they normally would do. Not that being surrounded by people would have done anything to stop Mina. She would have done this anyway of her own accord.

While it did bring Izuku happiness that Mina accepted that his Quirk wasn't his own… He was also a little bit sceptical about it as well. She seemed to have taken that news a bit too well. He'd needed a few weeks in his training before he'd fully realized that he wasn't just in some sort of elaborate dream, and that he was actually being trained by All Might, and was actually getting a Quirk.

"You… Really accepted the truth about my Quirk quickly." He commented softly.

"Well, if anyone else told me that they had their Quirk bestowed to them, I'd call them a liar. But with you, it makes way, way too much sense." Mina admitted totally openly, not hesitating to answer what could have been interpreted as an off-putting question with total ease. "Why, what's wrong? I've known about your Quirk for a while now. Why bring it up now?"

"N-Nothing, I-I just… I appreciate it. Really." Part of him still felt guilt for hiding his Quirks true nature. He still felt it when it was inquired by anyone, but he'd grown used to doing so by now, much to his dismay.

He hated lying to people about it. But Mina hadn't even brought it up since, accepting his reasons and forgiving him instantly.

As if she was reading his mind, her grip on his arm tightened, and she snuggled her head into his shoulder more. "I don't have any reason to doubt you, Izuku. I'm on your side, y'know. Even if your Quirks secret gets revealed to everyone else and they get mad with you for some reason… I'm still gonna stand by you."

"…Thanks, Mina."

"Love you."

They walked on in silence, comfortably, until they reached Mina's house, and said goodbye to one another.

Although both of them realized something when they were finally lone after their date.

They'd had fun, and they'd enjoyed one another's company. They still had to study, but that was to be expected with their school. They had enjoyed their date.

But looking back… There was something that did strike Mina in particular as odd, and something Izuku began to fret about.

Izuku had never once told Mina that he loved her.

* * *

 **I know that this is out a bit late, but in my defense, I work on so much stuff throughout the week that it becomes very difficult to keep up with the workload. Maybe I should temporarily retire some projects... Shame that i'm far too stupid to do that. Overwork, here I come!**

 **Overwork is actually a reason why I didn't write Mina and Izuku singing. Plus, I did actually have a few ideas for that scene... But I'll be blunt, it doesn't work with the rest of the chapter. I thought it might be more amusing to leave you guys to imagine that scenario yourselves.**

 **Season 2 started, and it was an awesome first episode! we got more Mina than expected, which brings me much joy, and I am hyped beyond hyped for this season to get going. It's gonna be so good ^_^ the Manga has been getting good too.**

 **I have a few ideas I want to work with for this story left, so I'll be working on them quite often. This story isn't going anywhere for quite a while yet guys. I shan't stop until there's actually other people writing for these two - So It looks like I've got my work cut out for me.**

 **My ramblings aside, I hope you enjoyed. sorry for the delay, and I'll see you next chapter guys ^_^ See ya!**


	18. Is Something Wrong?

Sunday came around far too quickly for Izuku's liking. The tests to go on the trip started on Monday, and he didn't feel like he'd been able to cover as much as he would have liked to in regards to both his studying and his physical fitness. He'd been training all week constantly, like it was the only thing keeping him sane in the build up to the examinations, but he still felt like he was lacking a lot of the know-how and skills he was going to need to succeed. When the day came around, he would face it head on, confident with what he had at the time, but he would still fret until that point, that he was still on the verge of failure. That had been what had kept him going for over a decade of being Quirkless, fighting until the bitter end and facing his challenges with whatever he had.

He couldn't be over prepared. That wasn't a possibility. No one could over prepare for an examination such as this. They'd need everything that they could possibly get to even have a chance at passing. Yuuei didn't mess around when it came to things like this. They were expected to put in as much work as any scholar. Heroes had too large a role in society to allow for the next generation to work at anything less than the absolute best of their abilities just wasn't something that they could afford to do. They had to be the best that they could be, both in the mind, and in the body.

Izuku had gone out of his way to study material that he struggled with. The Hero course stuff he didn't struggle with much as all. Certain elements of it he didn't quite understand, but it was by far and away his strongest subject on the course, as one would hopefully expect from any given Hero course member.

He struggled with some of the elements of the core subjects too. He was good at both Maths and English, understanding them very well, but he went over them again, to try and improve on his weaknesses. With his left hand, his weaker one, he held a grip booster, which he kept periodically using to help maintain the muscles he had in that particular arm. Doing so would help cut down the time he would need to spend training his body, which could help give him more time to study the bits of work he needed to in the textbooks.

His entire week had been filled of this sort of routine. It reminded him of his training with All Might, when he had been overworking himself to an unhealthy degree in the pursuit of his dream. Not that he regretted doing any of that in the slightest, but the parallels were there. Although now, he wasn't some skinny Quirkless runt of the litter anymore. He was one of Yuuei's students, and if he wanted to keep that privilege and not get thrown out by Aizawa-sensei or anyone else who didn't think he had a chance, he had to work harder than ever before.

He'd worked so hard to get into Yuuei. He couldn't allow himself to fail now.

It was only eleven when Izuku contemplated this, and he'd been diligently at work for the last two hours, three if a morning walk counted, during which he compiled a list of all the information he needed to learn and what tasks he needed to do once he got home in his head. He'd kept himself focused, allowing himself short breaks from either physical training or studying to relax for a few moments so he didn't overwhelm himself before he got right back into it.

"The Ethical use of Quirks came into practice after the initial development of Quirks, just after society had adjusted to the change and what Quirks exactly were. Hero as a profession didn't start being publicly acknowledged until the third generation, but the government of Japan outlined several laws of appropriate Quirk usage before this, one that was agreed and adopted by many other countries around the globe." He quietly muttered aloud as he read up on some of the history knowledge that he was expected to know. "The public use of Quirks were totally forbidden, except for situations of self-defence, or the defence of others, exceptions were made for Mutant types. In the interest of equality, discrimination again Mutant types, who were typically the most targeted group of Quirk users by anti-Quirk sentiment, were protected by law."

It was bizarre to Izuku to think of a world where Quirks just simply didn't exist. He'd been Quirkless, sure, but the idea of them just not existing at all was something that was utterly unthinkable to him. He'd grown up around Quirks. They were just the norm for him.

For a while, he kept up writing, pushing his thoughts aside about the world he lived in as he revised all the information that he needed to know for the examinations. He'd resigned himself to a full day of this, so he had the best chances of passing the written examinations. They were the only thing he could really practice for, given what was known about the exams.

He found himself jumping in surprise when he heard his phone going off next to him, the ringtone far louder than he remembered setting it. When he reached for the phone, he saw Mina's number, as well as her self-inserted first name with two wavelengths either side of it. Izuku blinked a few times, questioning just what the heck it was that Mina wanted. As far as he was aware, she was supposed to be studying with Yaoyarozu and that small study group.

That was what she had been doing yesterday, anyway. He hadn't heard from her since then, snd he'd assumed it was because she had been busy studying and getting everything ready. Perhaps she needed his help on a particular subject, or something like that?

...Or she just wanted to speak to him. He didn't put that thought past her either. Now that he thought about it, he'd be surprised if that wasn't what she wanted.

Still, he answered the call, put the phone to his ear, and spoke. "Hello?"

 _"Izuku, you gotta heeeeeelp me here, man!"_ Mina groaned through the phone, like she was in genuine pain. Her syllables were long and drawn out, and she sounded less alive than Izuku had ever heard anyone sound in his entire life.

"W-What the hell, Mina?! What - What's going on?!" He asked, suddenly very concerned for his girlfriend's general health. "A-Are you okay?!"

 _"So I've got another one of Yamomo's study sessions today, yeah?"_

"Yeah?..."

 _"Here's the thing though - I was so freaking bored yesterday I thought I was gonna pass out!"_

Izuku nearly dropped down onto the floor right there and then in exasperation. "Wha - Are you kidding me?!" While he was so very grateful beyond words that there wasn't anything really wrong with her, that she was just being as dramatic as she liked whenever she was bored or excited or whatever mood hit her at the time, he almost felt the warmth of anger hit him that she'd had him worrying like that over nothing.

Then again, that was something that she'd do.

 _"I wish. I mean, I understand it, sort of, but it's just so mind numbingly boring it makes me wanna cry."_ Mina explained herself to a still shocked Izuku. _"Yamomo looks like she's having fun, but this is just painful for me."_

"Well, you are there to study, you know..."

Izuku knew that Mina wasn't an academic sort of any kind. Her strength lied with her physical capabilities, something else that paralleled the two of them. At least right now, he shone in intellectual situations, but fell short in physical ones. Mina was the opposite. She couldn't deal with academics to save her life. She wasn't stupid, by any means, but she just wasn't book-smart.

He sighed and calmed himself down, resting his head in his right hand and hiding a smile, finding at least a bit of amusement in the whole situation, although he was at a loss as to what Mina possibly expected him to be able to do. He wasn't exactly good at being entertaining on demand. Did she expect him to start juggling books and rulers or something? "I - I don't see how I'd be able to help you there though..."

For a short moment, Mina didn't say anything, contemplating what he actually could do. She had clearly called him up without actually planning much further ahead. Her hums could he heard down the line as she contemplated what options there were, before she finally responded, peppy as ever. _"Ooh, ooh, I know, you could come along with me to Yamomo's study session!"_

That hadn't been an option Izuku had thought of, and he was hesitant to accept it as a possibility. While it would actually be a good option now that he thought about it, there were a couple of reasons why he wasn't too keen on it. Mostly because he hadn't been invited to do so, and just showing up randomly would feel like he was intruding. "B-But she didn't ask if I wanted to go."

 _"I'll call her, clear it up with her if you wanna! She likes doing this sorta thing, she'll be cool with it!"_ Cheerfully, the Acid Quirk user reported down the line. Izuku imagined her doing a little dance on the spot, since that seemed like something she would do. _"C'mon, think about it! Yamomo's awesome at this academic stuff! You'd probably learn some stuff from her too!"_

"But... Then wouldn't you still be bored? I-I mean, I won't have done anything, I'd just be there."

 _"Yeah, but you being there makes things fun!"_

A sudden blush made its way onto Izuku's face, and he moved to hide it, even though Mina was on the other side of a phone and had no way of seeing her. She was able to say such things so easily, it made Izuku wonder just where her limits rested at times. He wasn't sure if that was a part of her that he loved, or a part of her that he found painful.

A bit of both, when he thought about it. More so the latter, since she tended to use that particular trait of hers to mess with him.

Still, when he thought about it, it wasn't like it was the worst idea that he'd ever heard. Yaoyarozu stood at the top of their class academically, acing every mock test, pop quiz, and literally anything else regarding the intellectual aspects of the Hero course, from Hero Ethics and history, to the more fundamental subjects like Maths and English. Though she seemed to lack any sort of confidence in physical abilities, she excelled in written work, which made her similar to Izuku in that respect. Going to this session could possibly help him improve his own grades.

Plus, it would, according to Mina, help her focus. Although he didn't quite get the logic of that. Maybe she was just saying that so that he'd actually go. Or maybe she just liked him being around, which was a really nice thought to have.

There didn't seem to be any downsides so long as Yaoyarozu was fine with it, which Mina claimed she would be.

Not a whole lot of reasons to decline the idea.

"...Okay then." Izuku agreed after a pause in the conversation.

 _"Yahoo!"_ Mina cheered down the phone, and Izuku pictures her throwing her hands up into the air in celebration like she always did. _"Awesome! This'll be fun!"_

"B-But we have to study. We can't just mess around, you know. The semester finals start tomorrow."

 _"Alright, dad, chill."_ Joked his girlfriend _. "I'll text Yamomo and stop by your place in about an hour, sound good?"_

"S-Sure."

 _"See you in a bit then!"_ And with that, Mina hung up the call just like that.

Allowing himself to sigh in the smallest bit of exasperation, Izuku managed to smile lightly too. His girlfriend's endless energy really did do wonders for when it came to making him smile.

And to an extent, he did agree with her.

Just being near her made things a lot more fun for him, too.

* * *

"Izuku!"

"Hey, Mina - Aaaah!"

The moment Izuku opened the door to his and his mother's apartment, and before he'd even finished greeting her, he was tackled by Mina giving him the biggest hug he'd received yet from her, though it wasn't as tight as normal, since Mina was trying to avoid hurting him like her hugs sometimes did, but it was enough to knock Izuku back a few steps, past his mother who was there to see him off.

All her weight was suddenly transferred to Izuku as she essentially threw herself at him and let him hold her up, letting her feet drag along the ground while Izuku suddenly had to deal with another human being's mass added to his own that he had to manage.

Quickly, the young boy managed to regain his footing after stumbling for a few moments, and standing upright as Mina found her footing again. The two of them stayed like that for just a few brief moments, Izuku finally stable enough to return the hug, his mother squealing in the background silently so as not to disturb them. When Izuku saw her face again, it was plastered by the trademark Ashido grin.

"Hi."

"H-Hey."

Showing off all her teeth with her smile, Mina then caught a glimpse of Izuku's mother just to the side of her. She gave her a more polite smile, and greeted her. "Oh, hello Mrs. Midoriya."

The older woman looked like she was on the verge of squealing and about to burst into tears at the sight of the affection that Mina showed towards her son. She was the peppy and upbeat kind of person that shed hoped her own son would still be able to be when it was revealed he was Quirkless. Whenever Izuku spoke of her, once he'd gotten past all the blushing and embarrassment and attempts to get out of the conversation, it was so obvious that he cared about her very deeply. He was totally in love with her, there wasn't any doubt of that in Inko's mind. And he wasn't the sort of person that would just lose those feelings, or call off a relationship because he was bored of someone.

She knew her son was totally serious about the pink girl who currently had her arms wrapped around his neck. He was completely dedicated to her. It was because of this knowledge that she never pushed him into saying anything that he was uncomfortable saying.

But she knew that he loved his girlfriend, and from her displays of affection, it was clear Mina felt the exact same way about him.

That was what made Inko come close to squealing like a schoolgirl. "Oooooooooh, you're both absolutely adorable!"

In what was practically a trademark at this point, Izuku's entire face felt like it had just erupted into flames as he blushed, trapped between either looking at his girlfriend's close and cute face, or his mother's sparkling and internally adoration mode screaming one. He wasn't sure which one he preferred.

Okay, that was a total lie. Mina won that round no matter who she was up against, but still, it wasn't going to do much for his scarlet face right now.

While Mina also blushed, her upbeat and cheerful attitude meant she didn't feel much embarrassment from the statement, and instead just returned the smile with an equal amount of energy. She quickly turned to look at Izuku, his awkward blush still fierce. For a moment, Mina was tempted to kiss him, just to see if she could spark an even brighter blush from his face, and to see how his mother would react... But she decided against it, mostly for Izuku's sake. She wasn't quite that cruel.

Though she made a mental note to one hundred percent do that at some point in the future.

"C'mon, Izuku, my dad's waiting to take us over to Yamomo's!" Mina informed her boyfriend, releasing his neck from her hug, and grabbing one of his hands tightly. It didn't matter how often she would grab his hands, they were always soft and warm, and brought her great comfort. She began to pull at him, tugging for him to come along and to hurry up so they wouldn't be late. "We gotta be at hers by half past or we're gonna miss out on stuff!"

Izuku suddenly found himself being dragged out of his home and down the walkway and towards the steps before he'd even replied to much of what she'd said. He'd grown used to it by now, but it wasn't like he wouldn't appreciate a warning now and then.

"Have fun!" He heard his mother calling for them and probably waving them goodbye, but he didn't dare turn his head towards her, for fear of ending up whiplashed by the sheer speeds that Mina could move at.

About twenty seconds later, and three flights of stairs gone, Mina finally slowed down, and then came to a total stop. Unlike Izuku, she barely even looked like she'd run out of breath at all. Then again, she hadn't just been dragged out of her house at Mach ten speed without warning and essentially dragged down a flight of stairs.

Not that Izuku held it against her at all. That was just how she was. It was cute, he thought, if a little exhausting at times, such as this.

Still, for some reason, she seemed to be moving at a record breaking pace, barely even greeting him before dragging him away for the various misadventures that they would encounter today. It would be more understandable if they hadn't seen one another in a while, but it had only been a day since they had last spoken, each of them busy with other activities. They had been distracted, so there wouldn't have been much time to contemplate on one another.

Then again, he wasn't sure if Mina, a person who was very openly non-studious, would be distracted by books, of all things.

"M-Mina, what's the rus -" He was cut off by Mina swiftly and quickly pressing her lips against his, silencing him both physically and cutting off whatever his brain was thinking. He'd kissed Mina plenty of times, and she'd kissed him even more, so there wasn't any particular reason for this to be surprising him, but it was nonetheless. He felt the same rush he had when she'd kissed him for the first time, like it was an exact duplicate feeling.

Everything about it felt like the first kiss they'd shared. The feel of her lips was soft and warm, and they tasted so sweet, like caramel. Izuku etched the taste into his memory whenever he could, and savoured it whenever they shared a kiss. Through lots of teasing and miniature interrogations, Mina had managed to get him to admit that he liked these things about her kisses, and she seemed to be using this knowledge in the current kiss. The rush and the heartbeat increase Izuku felt was there too. He could swear that his heart rate was going at a thousand beats per minute.

Everything about Mina fell into focus. As she deepened the kiss, Izuku felt her closing the gap that still existed between the two of them, pulling herself closer towards him, as opposed to pulling him closer to her. He felt her chest pressing against his, and her waist joining against his. Izuku would have gasped of he'd been physically capable of doing so.

Not that the kiss was bad at all... Just unexpected.

It was nice... Once he'd gotten over the initial shock and returned the kiss.

He wasn't sure how long she'd kept the kiss gong, about twenty seconds possibly, though it felt a lot longer. So much longer, when she finally moved away, he'd found that he'd totally forgotten how to breathe, or what breathing even was.

"Wh-Wha?..."

"That was nice." Mina chimed happily, taking a step away and showing off her smile.

"Wh-What was... T-That for?..." The stunned green haired boy questioned, wide eyed. He recovered quickly once his brain had processed everything, though he was still lacking a bit of oxygen when he asked.

Mina's response was to just shrug. "Eh, just felt like it mostly. I missed you."

"We-We've only not spoken for one day."

"Yeah, that should give you an idea of how fond I am of you" His girlfriend replied quickly and without any hesitation whatsoever. "Yamomo's cool with you coming along to the study session, like I told you she would be." She bounced onto the next point, without even waiting for him to reply.

If Izuku didn't know her better... He'd say there was something wrong with her. Like she was... Distracted. Thinking about something that was messing with her and her ability to focus.

Still, she jumped back and forth from things on a regular basis, so it wasn't like it surprised him all that much. Then again, her kiss had taken him by surprise.

For some reason, for the first time, Izuku felt that something was wrong. And it was all unfamiliar to Izuku.

He was still new to the whole prospect of having a girlfriend. It was still probably one of the most shudder-inducing experiences that he'd ever had in his entire life. The gaining of One For All was probably the only thing that was greater. It was a simple feeling, but one that not only had the greatest impact on his life, but also came with a huge number of complications.

So far, everything between them had been totally fine, smooth sailing. A little too perfect by a lot of peoples standards, but there was nothing suspicious about it. The two of them weren't putting on an act, nor were they over-expressing any emotions that they felt for one another. Everything that they said, that they did, was all because their feelings for one another were totally genuine. There wasn't anything more to it than that.

Izuku loved Mina, and Mina loved Izuku.

So... Why did something, however inexplicable the reason why, feel like...

It wasn't explainable... But Izuku felt like something was wrong.

"A...Are you okay, Mina?" He questioned.

When she heard him, she tilted her head backwards and bent her back, so she would look at him. Though from his perspective her face was upside down, there wasn't any mistaking that she was still wearing her usual bright and beautiful smile. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm totally fine, why?"

Words weren't a viable way to explain exactly what it was that Izuku felt in that moment. Dull would be the closest. Damp also worked. Words that described a certain level of nullified emotion and a heavy slog through oil were the best ways, all wrapped around his heart. Izuku barely even knew what his own way of describing the feelings meant himself.

To put things as simply as he could...

It just felt weird... Like Mina, genuine as her affection, personality, kiss, and everything else was, was hiding something. She was acting more like Toru would act, as opposed to how she would act. Mina was excitable and social... But she did remain focused on one thing as it showed up.

It was like... She was moving things forward. Wasn't waiting, or didn't want to wait for a second longer than necessary. Was she that eager to get to the study session and get the information that she desperately needed to pass the exams? Was it because she was nervous? Because she was anxious about the tests?

He didn't know... But something seemed different about her. It wasn't anything that was obviously noticeable, or something that seemed to be affecting her in any particularly large way... But it was subtle. Someone who didn't know her - Or love her - like he did would notice.

But it was there... And it didn't look like she wanted to discuss it. Carefree a girl as she was, she probably didn't even notice it herself. With a personality like hers... She'd tell him.

She'd tell him if it really became a problem. Izuku trusted her to do that if she needed to express something. If Mina felt something was really wrong, and that it needed to be addressed, she wouldn't keep it to herself.

He hoped.

He trusted her.

"Oh, n-nothing." He smiled, pushing the idea to the back of his mind. "Hey, if something was wrong... Y-You would tell me, right?"

"Of course." Mina responded, with a quirked eyebrow. "Whats uh, where's this coming from, Izuku? You sure you're okay?"

"I-I'm okay. Really."

"You're a dork." She teased, before standing upright and suddenly latching herself onto Izuku's arm with a silly smile still etched onto her lips. "C'mon, let's go!"

Suddenly, everything felt back to normal.

Whatever the feeling Izuku had was, or what it meant, it was gone now. It had just been blown away, like the wind had taken it away. Everything was back to the way it was before Mina had kissed him. While that in itself brought its own questions... Izuku chose not to question it. Perhaps that was just a thing that happened to people when they were in relationships. Sometimes they felt momentary doubt or something else, and it went just as quickly as it came.

He blinked twice, before allowing himself to smile. He was worrying over nothing. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

 **I know comparatively this is a short chapter, but I've tried extending it, and it just doesn't mesh well with anything else. Izuku being at Yaoyarozu's basically ended up with the exact same thing happening in the manga, with Izuku basically in the background. (Might as well have thrown a cheerleading outfit on the poor bastard) Plus it's already a day late… and I felt this was better than nothing.**

 **Everything else is being kept tight lipped. It's all planned out. I wanna see what you guys think is gonna happen. : ) Hope you enjoyed, and I ll see you next time. See ya!**


	19. Physical Preparation

When Izuku heard the cheer that Mina had made when the Written Examinations were over, he found himself smiling without meaning to. The second that talking, moving, and all other non-test related things were permitted again, she's leaped out of her chair and thrown her arms into the air, like she were calling upon the Gods themselves to join in with her celebrations. She looked like something had clicked within her head, like she'd figured out exactly what the teats questions had been going on about. Kamanari joined in with her when the two began to crowd their personal tutor, chanting her name like she had just saved the city.

So clearly, the cram sessions with Yaoyarozu had done wonders for her. That had made Izuku glad. When he'd gone with her to those sessions, she had, for the most part, focused and worked hard on what she was being taught. Occasionally, she would turn to Izuku to ask if he was able to understand what words were being thrown at them like an intellectual cannon. Izuku would then explain it to her as simply as he could, which seemed to help her figure things out. As he'd said for months, she wasn't an idiot by any stretch if the imagination. She just didn't learn things from books well, and needed a push-start to help her on her way.

And it had helped her, very clearly. She looked like she'd done well. She looked like she'd almost enjoyed it as well. Tests, as it turned out, were actually rather enjoyable when the person taking the test knew enough about the subjects to answer them. At least Mina looked like she thought so.

He himself, Izuku was calmly and quietly confident in his results. He'd studied a ridiculously large amount, and he hadn't struggled too hard with any questions that had been on the test, so he wasn't too worried. That said, he ended the written test with sweat running down his brow, having only just managed to finish his revised final answer within the time limit, seconds to spare. So it had been a tense time during the test, but now that it was over, he was fairly certain he'd done well.

Immediately after the written portion, the Hero course classes were granted an hours break, within which they were to get something to eat, though many opted not to in case they wound up throwing it back up, get into their Hero costumes, and gather at the assigned testing grounds for the Practical examination.

And still, they had no idea what they were supposed to expect. Though the fact that Aizawa had basically told them not to eat if they didn't enjoy throwing up didn't exactly make a lot of people feel better.

Though of pretty much anyone, Mina seemed to be more relaxed about the entire Practical.

"Hey, if it's robots, my Quirk's perfect for it!" She reasoned, smiling brightly. "I don't have to hold back at all!"

"It's kind of hard to see any of us failing a Practical test with robots." Tsuyu croaked, her head atypically rested in her arms. "We all passed the entrance exam, and if it's anything similar, then I don't think any of us really could fail."

It was a good point, and didn't seem to fit the level of difficulty that Yuuei operated at. For a school that prided itself on having the best Hero course in the world, which certainly did say miles for how difficult its course was going to be. Still, giving them robots seemed to be basically giving them a free pass. But it wasn't like Mina hadn't thought about that. Of course, there had been a lot of danger for them in the past few months, between the Villain attack at the USJ, and Izuku, Iida and Todoroki running into the Hero killer.

It was possible that they had decided that the students had been through more than enough. At least, that was the common conclusion by a lot of students now that they knew what the test would consist of.

Or hoped, at least. And even if it wasn't the case, if it was robots, it didn't matter. It would be fine. They could go all out either way.

Standing up, Mina stretched, her hands and arms reaching above and behind her head as she felt some of her joints click back into place. She stifled a yawn with her teeth, and glanced around her. Everyone was getting ready to attend the final exams, some eating very light foods that would give them energy over time, like carbohydrates. Some ate fruits like bananas to give them a small fill that wouldn't make them feel sick after getting the crap kicked out of them. A few were gathering their Hero costumes already, preparing to go and change and psych themselves up for the examinations.

Which was what Mina planned to do herself. She'd eaten before coming into school, having bought something that was small and satisfying and wasn't her mother's God awful cooking or some garbage sandwich of spinach and who knew what else.

With a smile making its way onto her lips after her yawn had passed, she caught Izuku in her sights, apparently planning to do the exact same thing she was. He'd already reached for and grabbed his silver suitcase which contained his simple, yet admittedly functional costume. He'd said it was symbolic to him, but hadn't mentioned how that was the case, though Mina didn't pry. He'd tell her if it ever came up, or if he wanted to explain why. No doubt it was something fairly simple and childish to a degree, but was important to him. Perhaps he was embarrassed by it just a bit. Either way, it probably explained why he hadn't have a flashy costume like most other people did.

After parting ways with her group of friends, Mina made her way over to the costume shelves, her eyes already fixed on her case. Izuku caught her attention by giving her a very small wave and smiling lightly. He actually seemed fairly relaxed. "You look like you did well." He commented, referring to the pleased look on her face, and her cheering not a short while ago.

"Yep!" Reported the pink girl with her trademark grin. Once she reached Izuku, she quickly rose onto her tiptoes, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thanks!"

With a single action, Mina had broken Izuku's calm and neutral expression totally, leaving him with a sudden blush on his cheeks. It had been completely intentional, and she grinned in satisfaction that she'd managed to do her job so well. "Wh-What was that f-for?" He stammered, bringing his hand onto the location that had just been kissed.

"For all the help." Answered Mina simply, retrieving her Hero costume from the shelves. They were deceptively heavy in spite of their appearance, as she'd needed to use both her hands just to get it off the railings. Being made of metal, the main bulk of the weight wasn't from the costumes, but from the casing itself.

Having gotten used to her displays of affection by now, even if it was in public, Izuku had calmed down rather quickly. His blush was less prominent, and his stammering calmed down far faster. "I... I didn't do much though." He pointed out simply, looking over to the actual person who had helped her. "Yaoyarozu was the one who had a study session at her place and went over everything."

"And you explained everything that I didn't get. Which was... Nearly all of it." As she returned over to him, she lightly hit his shoulder with the back of her hand and muttered with a sly grin, "Plus, I don't think either of us particularly want me to thank Yamomo with a peck on the cheek. That one's exclusive to you, Izu-kun."

* * *

Izuku had managed to change into his Hero costume within five minutes. His costume was far simpler, much more basic and focused more on the design than it was on anything else. Because of the additions made by the support companies, his costume also now had a focus on durability, but it wasn't anything major. Nothing like Bakugou's gauntlets or a full-body armour set like Iida's. He didn't even have a helmet like Uraraka did, using a hood instead. The attachment that went around his neck was the only other thing of note, excluding his jumpsuit and utility belt, and those took no time at all to equip.

In short, once he'd figured out just how his costume worked, he could get it ready in next to no time at all. The vast majority of his time had actually been spent moving his costumes case out of the way, and putting his belongings into his locker.

It was because of all of these small, trivial tasks that took up to nearly no time whatsoever, that Izuku was ready much sooner than Mina was, leaving him waiting for her to change into her costume.

So he waited. Without the Written exam to worry about, he and Mina had managed to calm down a significant amount since the previous few nights. With the Physical right around the corner, regardless of if he was allowed to go on the class trip or not, Izuku would be glad to have this stress gone and done with. He already felt better, thinking that after this, there wouldn't be any more exams for a while.

They were still pretty early in the year, and had plenty to look forward to before their first year was even over. There was plenty to think about, Izuku remembered. So much he would have to contemplate, to relive in his memory before the first year was completed.

Of everything that happened at Yuuei specifically, unsurprisingly for Izuku, Mina was what he associated his first year, outside of actually getting accepted into the school. She was the one person he'd never expected to find in this place, someone so unexpected that made him feel so damn happy that he couldn't even begin to describe it. Trying to would be an insult to the feeling, as words wouldn't do it justice.

He'd expected a lot of things from Yuuei. The world's number one school for Heroes in training, he'd expected powerful Quirks, lots of hard training and tests, and he hadn't been disappointed once in those regards - At no point had he expected to fall in love though. Not while in high school.

Not with someone like Mina. But... He couldn't be happier that he had. The same point ran through his head over and over and over again, like it was on a loop. No matter how many times his brain repeated it too him, it never made it less true.

He was happy he fell in love with Mina.

She made him feel more motivated than ever before, her unrestricted energy and cheerful personality helped him feel at ease, like he didn't need to feel stressed over what the results of his labour brought him. He lived for the future, while she lived for the moment, which was something he'd never realised he'd needed. Born without a Quirk, all he could do was hope and dream and pray that these days would pass them by quickly. When he got to Yuuei, he hadn't slowed down for even a second, always working towards to future, knowing that while he was there, and that he loved being at this amazing school, that he only was there temporarily. He would eventually move on, leave the school to become a sidekick, and eventually a fully-fledged Hero in his own right. That was what he wanted to do his entire life, and with All Might passing the torch that was One For All, it felt like a duty just as much as a passion for Heroism.

But Mina was the same way. She knew the same things he did, and she tried her best, but fell flat sometimes. Her abilities with her Quirk directly opposed Izuku's, as did his intellectual capabilities with hers... But she didn't focus too much on it. She focused more on living for the moment, breathing in what was happening now, and letting her future self worry about what needed to be done then. Not once would she ever fear the futures failures unless they were imminent. She wasn't like Izuku in that respect, a person who thought about every possibility to the finest detail.

When she was with him... Izuku didn't think about those things either. For those moments, his dreams of becoming a Hero were put aside. He enjoyed being with Mina in those moments. The sound of her voice, the warmth of her skin, the taste of her lips...

How much she made him smile and laugh without even trying to. How she made him feel just by being near...

The urge he felt to kiss her and hold her close when they were alone, an impulse that he found himself fighting against more and more as the days went past.

She made him happy. That was all there really was to it. And he hoped he made her happy.

"Alright Izuku, I'm good to go!" His girlfriend suddenly announced from an already ajar door. When she stepped into sight, Izuku froze.

He'd seen her in her Hero costume plenty of times, many before they'd even spoken to one another, and just as many after they'd begun dating. It wasn't like what he was seeing was anything that he hadn't seen before... Yet for some reason, the sight of her now made him blush like a maniac. He'd not paid a lot of attention to her Hero costume before... But right now, his eyes were drawn, and his body refused to listen to a single command to tear away.

It was skin tight for starters, against every single inch of her body that it came into contact with. It was flexible and durable, so that Mina could make whatever physical movements that she needed to while wearing it. Despite the claim that she was ready, that wasn't entirely true yet. Her brown jacket, short, which went around her shoulders and clipped onto her leotard to keep it upright, wasn't actually on yet, still in her left hand. Said jacket was mostly there to ensure that the leotard kept her modest while she was running around the place and using her Quirk, but while she was walking, there wasn't much threat of it just falling down. This left Mina with nothing around her totally exposed neck, shoulders, and upper chest, the leotard preventing Izuku from seeing too much. Not to mention, her eye mask still wasn't on, wrapped around one of her horns for safekeeping.

In short, with what Mina had on, far more skin than Izuku had ever seen from her was visible, fleshy parts that he'd never seen before. Skin tight clothing just seemed to highlight it more. Almost enhancing these features, making them seem more prominent than usual. The sight alone made Izuku scarlet.

"M-Mina..." His brain wasn't working properly, and his face felt hot enough to boil tea on. He wasn't able to take his eyes away from her.

She looked... Really... Really good.

"Hmm? What's up?" For a second, the pink skinned girl was totally oblivious to what it was that Izuku was embarrassed about. Her jacket being off hadn't been in some sort of attempt to show off flesh, but rather to save some time, so she could throw it on while she was walking. She'd thought nothing of it. When she finally figured out what it was that had Izuku flustered...

She grinned to herself, and made a mental note to make sure to invite him to the beach or a water park at some point.

"What?" She questioned innocently, allowing her weight to shift onto one leg as she cocked her hip out to the side. Allowing her hand to rest on her jutted out hip, she made no effort at all to hide or cover up any skin. Her eyes locked with Izuku's a second later, and she softly asked, "Seeing something you like?"

The way her hip had just shot out made Izuku's heart suddenly throb, and his breath sharpen. He had no clue how to respond to any of this. She was... She was amazing. Everything he felt about Mina rushed to the front of his thoughts, unable to be surprised. She was so freaking cute. She was adorable and cute and incredible, and Izuku loved her to absolute death. She was so cute and funny and amazing and...

...And he was still staring at her. At this point, it couldn't even be thinly veiled as being subtle.

When he realised that he'd not torn himself away from her or the costume that, now that he'd seen it, would always look so ridiculously good on her, he felt steam rising from his forehead, and ricocheted off onto the nearest rock of some description. Desperate to hide his crimson blush, he threw his hook over his face. The material the costume was made of clearly wasn't designed for internal heat expulsion, as he quickly became hot and stuffy within his mask. Still, it was far better than letting Mina see just how flustered he had become.

Mina giggled to herself before walking over to him, humming a joyful tune momentarily as she did so, to which she couldn't even begin to remember to name of. Izuku had turned a full hundred-eighty degrees from her, so she didn't even need to look at him to gauge how embarrassed he was. Without a word, but a small, cute smile for in case he turned around, the Acid Quirk user pulled his hood down, exposing his burning flesh to the cool air. He didn't turn, nor did he attempt to stop her.

"You're so cute." She quietly said, before she suddenly latched onto his left arm. With absolute intention, she made sure her chest met against his arm, which clearly sparked a reaction from the nervous boy. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her cheek, along with her soft, good-smelling pink hair brushed against his cheek, like an affectionate cat. "You know you're allowed to look, right?"

"Wh-Wh-Huh?!"

"You're my boyfriend, Izuku. I don't mind you looking at me like that once in a while." She lightly teased, though her words were genuine. In truth, it did make her feel a bit relieved that he found her to be attractive in that particular regard. Not that this had been how she had planned any of this. She was just rolling with whatever was coming her way, and she was making sure to enjoy all of it. Plus, she wasn't the type of person to show off skin to impress people in any respect. She did possess dignity.

Though if it got Izuku flustered and blushing like a maniac like right now, she'd be happy to show off a bit of herself once in a while. This was too amusing to her. And she wasn't lying. She really didn't mind if Izuku looked at her like that.

"W-W-We s-should head over t-to the meeting place." The green haired flustered teenager responded, starting to walk out of the changing area. As he walked, Mina allowed his arms to slide out of her grasp. He didn't walk too quickly, so Mina could catch up to him once she'd finished teasing him.

His blush now felt more like a tattoo, permanently engraved into his face.

With a satisfied chuckle at her boyfriend's quirky behaviour, Mina followed him closely, sliding her arm through the corresponding hole on her Hero costume jacket. "Ah, I see, you saving that for the trip? Didn't know you were such a risk taker."

* * *

Humans.

They were fighting humans, not robots.

The second Mina heard that, the huge smile that had been etched onto her face had become still and stiff as the dread washed over her. They were fighting against actual people, which meant using her Quirk at full power was a no-go. At full power, she was going to end up killing someone, and she had a feeling that the goal of this test didn't involve putting someone in a hole in the ground.

But either way, this was bad. Very, very bad. Her entire strategy had been focused on her being free to unleash her powers as she desired, no restrictions to either her Quirk or what got in her way. That was how she'd even gotten into Yuuei in the first place!

And to make matters worse, they were being put into partner based teams, which was frankly, one of the worst bits of news she'd received. Not that she couldn't get along with people, but because that meant she had to be mindful of her teammate, or she risked dissolving them as much as she did against her opponent.

She looked at Izuku whom stood next to her, and he looked back at her, with the same expression in his eyes.

' _Crap_.' They both wordlessly said to one another. There wasn't anything else they really could say. This was as bad for Izuku as it was for her. He was just getting used to using his power, using it against a person was no doubt going to challenge him, and if he got it wrong...

Not to mention... Their opponents were the Yuuei faculty staff. They were horrifically outmatched. It didn't matter who they were out against, because they were actual Heroes. They had a far more experience, and knew how to push their Quirks to the brink. And they'd chosen all the teams themselves, all based on Quirk match ups, personalities, relationships, and who was friends with who.

Which basically eliminated any chance Mina and Izuku had to be paired up if the teachers knew. That was actually something Mina wasn't sure of, if their teachers were aware of their relationship, or if that would change the match ups.

In short though, the odds were heavily against the students here. They were going to have to work for this, no matter who they got put up against. And Mina's entire strategy had been thrown out the window...

All she could do was sigh and internally cry as Aizawa called up the first pair. "First up, we have Todoroki and Yaoyarozu, and you'll be up against me." Both the special recommendation students, Mina noticed. She wondered if there was a particular reason for that. Although internally, she counted herself lucky. Against Aizawa, she doubted she'd be much good. His Erasure Quirk was extremely powerful, and would have rendered her totally useless.

"Next up, we have Midoriya..." Mina crossed her fingers. On the off chance that she got paired with Izuku, she was confident that they'd be able to pass.

Not that it happened. Instead, the worst possible thing happened.

"...Is with Bakugou."

For a second, the entire class was dead silent, including those two, until it clicked that this wasn't a joke. The two of them looked at one another, Izuku with a look that showed anxiety, surprise and a mixture of other emotions that he couldn't even begin to process himself. Bakugou's was far easier to read - Total disgust. He didn't have conflicted feelings about this for even the briefest of seconds. He was totally sickened by his partner, and wanted nothing more than to switch with literally anyone else.

Outside the two of them, Mina instantly became extraordinarily concerned, looking between Izuku and Bakugou. Before she'd fallen in love with Izuku, she had admired Bakugou's tenacity and drive, even if he was as pleasant as a blood-frenzied Great White Shark. He wasn't someone to back down, and he was ferocious in achieving what he set out to. He was like a walking man of war, and his Quirk did nothing but support this case. Extremely versatile and adaptable to a huge range of situations. On the surface, excluding his absolute garbage personality, he was the personification of a Hero. But she knew what he was like now, what his real personality was like, from how Izuku had described him, all while essentially damning him with fine praise. Mina now had a far less complex, and far less flattering opinion regarding him.

Bakugou was a prick, plain and simple. She'd grown to dislike him after learning how he really was. She'd thought that his angry personality was a mask of some sort, that it was just his way. But no, that was him. He was just a scumbag. What people saw was what people got. If someone like Kirishama could get past that, then that was awesome for him. And admittedly, Mina probably could have gotten past it too.

But she knew how Bakugou treated Izuku when he was Quirkless. She knew how harsh and ruthless he was to him, even when he'd done nothing wrong. He'd been a bully. To an extent, he still was. And perhaps she was biased, but Mina knew for a fact that Izuku wouldn't ever do something that justified that sort of treatment. He was such a nice person, it was hard to ever seen him doing something to harm another person in any way.

She believed Izuku far, far, _far_ more than she would ever believe Bakugou. Any day.

Uncaring for the thoughts that Mina was rocketing through, Aizawa continued reading through his list. "And you'll be up..."

"Against me." Normally, that voice was the ultimate sound of comfort, like a shield or blanket that would cover up people in danger. Mina knew that it sounded like an angel when she'd been in the USJ, and they'd been surrounded by Villains who had every intention of killing them.

When you were on the receiving end of All Might's thunderous voice, it felt very, very different, in every single respect. He sounded like death incarnate, and just speaking made Mina feel a bit sick, and she wasn't even the one being addressed. He towered over the two students to whom he'd been assigned, muscles casting shadows down on other parts of his body, and said muscles practically pulsing along with his heartbeat. His forearm alone looked thicker than Mina's thigh, which spoke volumes for the more refined parts of his muscular form.

Mina knew that was what this was. A form, not his natural posture. She was one of the only people who knew this, all because Izuku trusted her enough to ask his tutor to reveal his secret to her, and he'd accepted. Even so...

Her eyes shot open alongside Bakugou's and Izuku's. They had to go up against freaking _All Might_?! Was that even fair?! More than that, this couldn't be a worse set up for Izuku!

This felt - No, it was all done intentionally. She'd forgotten in surprise for the briefest of moments, but Izuku had been the one to inherit All Might's Quirk. That made him one of the best choices to assess how Izuku was progressing. Did that mean the other teachers knew?

"Ashido, you're with Kaminari." Class 1-A's homeroom teacher listed off, catching Mina's attention. "You'll be going against the Headmaster."

Kaminari? Mina would admit, that wasn't too bad. Aside from his garbage control over his own Quirk, Mina knew Kaminari fairly well, and they were on friendly terms, so they would be able to coordinate together decently. She could have gotten a worse option. Right now though, she was barely even concerned over that. That could wait.

"Izuku, are you alright?" Asked Mina, shaking his shoulder with her left hand to get him to pay attention to her.

He looked shaken, but he was still coherent. Though he looked like he'd just swallowed a wasp, he nodded towards Mina, and attempted the shakiest smile she'd ever seen in her life. "I-I'm alright. I - We knew that t-this was going to be a tough t-test."

"Bakugou... Why'd you have to get paired with Bakugou?..." As she muttered to herself quietly, she shot over a glance towards the Explosion Quirk user. He quickly reacted, looking back over at her, with an equal fierceness. His red eyes clashed with Mina's yellow and black ones. While they exchanged glances, the rest of the world, excluding her, him, and Izuku, seemed to fade into the black void.

Bakugou had to know now, about Mina's dislike for him. If he wasn't totally stupid, he had to know. Normally, he didn't give a crap about who liked him or not, but for some reason, he kept glaring towards Mina like she was a menace. Perhaps he felt betrayed to a certain extent that Mina had chosen to side with Izuku. He certainly had given Uraraka a hard time originally because she was friends with him. Perhaps it was because of their relationship? If he kept using his Quirk to try and blow Uraraka up during the sports festival like he had because she was friends with him, then what would he have done to someone dating Izuku?

Though he did respect Uraraka and her abilities... Mina had no idea what he thought about her. And frankly, she didn't care either. She was the one to break the glare, and the rest of the world snapped back into reality. "Are you gonna be okay?" She inquired again, refocusing her attention to her clearly nervous boyfriend.

"I-I don't really have much choice..." His answer was less than encouraging, but Mina could easily understand why he'd be so apprehensive. His situation was less than ideal for this very important exam, so his nerves were natural.

As it stood, though she didn't like to think too much of herself, or too little of others... Mina felt that she had a better chance to succeed than Izuku right now. And he had quickly reached the same conclusion. It was a natural and logical thing to come to. Izuku and Bakugou had next to no chemistry as mere acquaintances, never mind as teammates. A very real part of Mina wasn't going to be surprised if Izuku wound up getting assaulted by Bakugou during the examination. She really didn't put it past him anymore. And well...

Their opponent was _freaking All Might_. What was the _Headmaster_ compared to a Hero like _freaking All Might_? Whatever the specifics of the examination, she should statistically have more of a chance against someone like Nedzu, right?

"...I'm not gonna go on the trip if you don't." She told Izuku.

"H-Huh?!" Response was virtually instant as the taller boy looked towards her face, totally deadpanned and serious.

"You heard. I don't wanna go if you're not gonna go."

"B-But Mina, you really wanted to go on the trip, didn't you? Thats why you went to all of Yaoyarozu's study sessions, isn't it?"

"Yeah... And I still really freakin' do wanna go on the trip... But be honest, who do you think is more likely to pass between us right now?"

Izuku blinked and nodded concedingly within just a few seconds, seeing the point Mina was making. "Well, you I guess, but... That doesn't mean you shouldn't go on the trip if you really want to if I fail."

"Right. And I do wanna go on the trip... But I only wanna go if you're gonna go too." They were her honest feelings. The trip... It sounded awesome, she wasn't going to lie. The images of the class all around a campfire with curry and telling scary stories and all manner of activities like that... For a social creature like Mina, that sounded like a paradise of hilarity and awesomeness. But... Spending that time with Izuku sounded like a perfect time.

If he wasn't there, then the trip wasn't going to be as fun. And well... Mina didn't want to be apart from Izuku for long. She'd grown so... Ridiculously fond of him it made her giggle.

"...I don't want to go on the trip without you either." Izuku smiled at her softly, this time far more stable a smile than previously.

"Guess we'll both had to just try our best so we can go, huh?"

"Yeah."

* * *

 **There were a few things I wanted to try with this chapter, mostly to do with Mina being flirty as holy hell - Because she's a flirt, I don't give a damn what you say, and nothing will ever convince me otherwise. Apparently she lists Izuku off as a person that she'd date in the light novels. I've been told that anyway, haven't had a chance to read them yet, so don't quote me on that, but I thought that was pretty fun.**

 **Season 2 is freakin amazing so far, eh guys? We've gotten so much Mina its great!**

 **Also, I'm going to bring MinaDeku back up to a weekly basis - The rWBY stuff is on temporary hiatus because I'm working on a story I'm going to complete, and then release over a course of time - Meaning you guys get MinaDeku weekly. And you're actually gonna get more of a plot and character study, which I know all of you have been looking forward to ^_^**

 **At any rate, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time. see ya!**


	20. Day Out At Kiyashi-Ward Mall!

What was it she'd said? That statistically, she had a better chance of succeeding against the Headmaster than Izuku had against All Might? That made sense, didn't it? Nedzu was just a small creature, and his Quirk High Spec wasn't exactly fantastic for combat situations. He had a Quirk that really only helped him in combat situations in a niche way, like strategy, and since a strategist traditionally didn't get thrown into battle, Mina had almost written him off to an extent.

That was a much easier thing to do when he wasn't operating building equipment and swinging a _fucking wrecking ball_ at them.

"Holy craaaa-aaa-aaap!" Another swipe of metal that came far too close for comfort made both Mina and Kaminari throw themselves onto the ground and shield themselves when the chunks of rubble from the building to their left, now utterly decimated by the impact of the operating machinery, slammed into e ground around them and threatened to batter into them.

She and Kaminari wound up running like their lives depended on it - And both were growing increasingly concerned that they actually were! All Might may punch someone into next week, but he wasn't going to kill them!

The Headmaster on the other hand, Mina was growing more and more concerned that he was just absolutely freaking crazy.

"Ashido, you doin' okay?!" Kaminari called over to her, trying to make his way towards her during the now relative calmness around them. The pattern of Nedzu's attacks seemed to cause just a few moments of utter chaos and brutality, which were then followed with brief calmness, probably with him planning which way to mess with them next.

"I'm good." Responded the slightly dazed girl, accepting his hand and help up. The second she got onto her feet, she scanned the area, hoping for a glimpse, a sign, something - Anything - That would help them pin down their targets location. "I don't even know where these attacks are coming from!"

"Aaaargh, you'd think a freakin' wrecking ball wouldn't be this hard to spot!" The Electrification Quirk user exclaimed, slapping his hand against his forehead, his fingernails suddenly scratching against his skin as his hand became a fist. "How're we supposed to beat an opponent that we can't even freaking find?!"

It was absolutely absurd, but it was totally true at the same time. Despite the knowledge that their opponent was working with some sort of demolishing equipment, which sure wasn't going to be small, neither of them could figure out exactly where these attacks were coming from! While the wrecking ball would come suddenly and obliterate some structure nearby, Mina and Kaminari were too busy trying to get crushed to make note of where the giant ball of metal went before it disappeared. Shortly, the process would repeat itself, and they'd be right back to square one. They had no way of pinpointing exactly where the damn thing was!

"Kaminariii, can't you just do something with your Quirk or something?"

"Why does no-one know how my Quirk works?! I can't control where the electricity goes, and even if I could, I don't know where the damn guy is!" He was falling back into panic, like he usually did in combat. It was probably his biggest weakness, especially since his Quirk fried his brain. "D'you want me to get stupid?!"

A small chuckle. "What d'you mean, 'Get stupid?'" Mina jabbed with a small smirk. While it was always fun to make fun of Kaminari, he tended to calm down when people started making jokes. He was good natured like that. She could already see him giving her an evil glare.

So that was a good sign.

In that moment, the announcer suddenly cracked into life, as it had done a few minutes ago to announce Todoroki and Yaoyarozu's victory. Another tram had passed, and so early in the exams too. " _Team Bakugou and Midoriya have passed the examination!"_

"Wait, what?!" Mina's eyes nearly shot right out of their respective sockets at that announcement as she yelled back at the inanimate object like it had just lied to her. Izuku and Bakugou had taken down All Might?! Izuku and Bakugou?! They'd taken down an absolute monster like All Might?! It was impossible to decide which prospect surprised the girl more - The idea that her boyfriend and his bastard of a childhood friend had managed to work together, or that they'd taken down the absolute clobbering, Villain beating, Quirk stomping badassery that was All Might!

She knew that Izuku was good, but damn!

"Damn, Midoriya and Bakugou really get stuff done." Commented Kaminari, clearly as surprised at the announcement as his teammate was. He was more than aware of the relationship between the two, and was clearly as shocked that Bakugou had managed to put aside his clear distaste for Izuku to actually get the job done. "If Bakugou would chill for ten seconds, those two would actually make one hell of a duo."

"Good luck with that." Mina muttered bitterly. While she was happy Izuku had passed... She was less happy that he'd no doubt gone the extra mile to help out the person who had treated him like dirt had also passed. She knew if Izuku was going to get through this exam, Bakugou also would by extension. It was inevitable if they'd been paired together, but still, that didn't mean she had to be thrilled for the blond jerk. She tapped Kaminari's shoulder to get his full attention away from the speakers. "C'mon, before we get attacked again by that wrecking ball."

They had spent way too much time in the same area already. Any longer and they'd probably just get crushed by whatever Nedzu was operating at the time. God knew what that would be.

* * *

When she failed the examination, she felt like she'd been slammed in the gut by an iron pipe. To describe it was an impossibility. It wasn't possible to tell if she was more angry or more upset with herself for failing. After having trained for so, so long and trying her absolute best whenever she could, she had still failed. All those study sessions with Yaoyarozu now just felt totally pointless, all the work that she'd done with Izuku, completely wasted.

Izuku was another reason for her upset. If he was a man of his word, which Mina knew for an absolute fact he was, then he wasn't going to go on the school trip either, and that felt like a truly sharp jab to the heart for her.

She'd been the one to say that she was more likely to achieve victory than Izuku was, and she still maintained that her logic had been solid… But she'd been wrong. Nedzu had utterly crushed her and Kaminari. Whenever they got close to where he was, he'd scurried away and found a new way to mess with them. It had felt like a game of cat and mouse, except the mouse had superhuman intelligence and was trying to drop a building on them. It had almost felt unfair.

But because of her saying that she'd be more likely to pass than Izuku… She'd prompted him to say the same thing. Barely even prompted – She knew that he'd probably say something like that… But she hadn't honestly expected Izuku to even come close to beating All Might. She believed in him, of course, more than she'd ever believed in anyone in her life… But this was All Might they were talking about.

There was a difference between believing in her boyfriend, and flat out delusion.

And yet, he'd proved her wrong, yet again. It was practically a tradition at this point, for him to surpass expectations and leave everyone around him completely stunned by what he could do. By her tally, he'd done it about seven times now. Who knew what he'd be capable of when they graduated.

But still, she had said that she wouldn't go on the trip without him without thinking… And he'd said the same. He was going to honour that promise, she knew that he was going to.

So he wasn't going on the trip either. Because of her.

That was what made it feel all the more upsetting. She felt like she'd failed not just herself, but him as well.

While she knew that this was all to be expected on the road to becoming a Hero, failures and setbacks… That didn't make it any less fun. Just because she knew that, even if she became a sidekick or a Pro, that she was going to fail for certain sometimes, that didn't make the thought any more appealing.

In this case, she just felt awful that it had to be one of these times that she'd had to fail.

As per her instructions, once she had left the testing groups, she returned to the changing rooms and stripped out of her Hero costume and placing it back where it belonged, and then returning to her school attire. Once she'd done that, she sombrely grabbed hold of her suitcase and left the female dressing room. The group of failures, Kaminari, Kirishama and Sato had waited for her, which she thanked them for, and they all headed back up to the classroom together.

None of them said a word on the way though, contemplating their various mistakes and failures throughout the day. Nothing more needed to be said about any of them in all honesty. Typically, they were characterised as the cheerful and energetic bunch. Now they all felt utterly downtrodden.

Mina in particular. And it didn't go unnoticed. Just before they wound up reaching the door to room 1-A, Kirishima tapped on the Acid Quirk users shoulder to grab her attention. "Ashido, you doing okay? You look like you're taking this harder than the rest of us put together."

"Oh?" Mina looked over at her friend, before she quickly sniffled and answered in a more neutral tone than she normally would answer any given question in. "Oh… Yeah, I'm okay… Just really disappointed, you know?..."

"You look like you're about to start crying." As the Hardening Quirk use spoke, Sato and Kaminari gave the two of them a short glance, before passing by the two of them, and making their way into their classroom. The noise and multiple questions could be heard as soon as their other, successful classmates.

Once the noised was dulled after Sato shut the door, and Kirishima used the opportunity to press his questions a bit more.

"I know you wanted to go on that trip – I sure did, but you look way more upset than just that. I know it sucks, but it's not the end of the world you know."

He was trying to be nice and to help her feel better. Mina knew that, and she did appreciate it. Kirishima was a good guy, easily able to get along with pretty much anyone. He was a great friend to have, and it was obvious to anyone who had earned his friendship that he was someone that you could easily confide in.

"… It's about Izuku, that's all." She admitted.

Though Kirishima was just as aware as the rest of their classmates about her and Izuku's relationship, he knew nothing about the little promise both of them had made before actually taking the examinations. He was confused by how Mina's boyfriend had anything to do with her upset. His scarred eye widened slightly as he quirked up an eyebrow in curiosity. "Midoriya? What about him?"

With a small sigh, Mina explained everything to Kirishima, whom stood there with his arms folded, and listened patiently to what she had to say. "We… Before we actually took the test… I thought I'd be more likely to pass the test than Izuku was. I mean, he had to fight All Might, yeah, and I just had the Headmaster. I mean, his Quirk is cool and all… But compared to All Might, I didn't think he was that tough."

"I didn't either, but he's gotta be the headmaster of Yuuei for a reason." Kirishima agreed with Mina, not faulting her for her logic, nodding his head as he spoke to signal his agreement. "What about it?"

"Well…. I… Said that I didn't wanna go on the trip if Izuku didn't get to go as well. And I didn't. Don't. Whatever. It wouldn't be any fun without him. And he said the same thing…"

"Ah. I got it." The red haired boy realized where this was all coming from. Guilt, a feeling that she'd let down her boyfriend. Almost like she'd totally let him down. From how she had put it, it sounded like she had been totally confident in passing the exam. She probably hadn't been, but it wasn't hard to see how she'd come to this conclusion.

A Strength Enhancement Quirk that obliterated as much as All Might's did against an Intelligence Enhancer… Of course Mina would have thought that she'd have the Quirk matchup advantage. Compared to Izuku and Bakugou, practically everyone had been assigned to a teacher to whom they had a Quirk matchup advantage.

The fact Izuku and Bakugou had passed their test when dealing with All Might, while Mina had lost against a comparatively easier opponent… It was no wonder that she felt that she'd let him down. And because of that, Izuku was going to refuse to go on the trip, even though he'd been looking forward to it as much as everyone else had. But...

While she might not see it that way… Kirishima thought it said a lot of good about Izuku.

"...I dunno. I think that's pretty freakin' manly of Midoriya." He said, catching the attention of the upset girl in front of him.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"The guy's prepared to stay here just cause you're not gonna get to go on the trip, isn't he? That's what you agreed on? If he stands by that, that says a ton about the guy's loyalty. You saw how much he wanted to go on the trip, but he's prepared to give it up just because he promised you that he wasn't gonna go if you couldn't. It says a lot about him, don't you think?"

Before Mina could even say anything in response, the two of them suddenly found themselves interrupted by the sound of the classroom door quickly sliding open, almost sounding like it was going to snap into a thousand pieces. A crisp slam echoed in the air for a few seconds, before a figure revealed itself from within the classroom.

"Mina!" Izuku's head was turned in the wrong direction for a second, before he rotated to the correct way and saw his clearly distraught girlfriend and Kirishima stood by her. For another short second, Izuku just looked towards her, like he couldn't quite believe that she was actually there.

When he finally reacted to seeing her, he practically ran out of the classroom and made his way rapidly over towards her. Behind him came a few peeking faces whom belonged to people Mina couldn't quite make out at the exact distance. Kirishima seemed to step back a couple of steps, unsure of what was going on, but feeling that he should move out of the way all the same.

Unsure of what else she really could do in this situation, and of what was currently going on, Mina could only think to apologise before her boyfriend reached her within the next three seconds. "Izuku, I'm - "

The second that she was in range though, which was about three seconds sooner than Mina had expected, Izuku threw both of his arms tightly around her, and pulled her into the biggest, tightest hug that she'd ever received from anyone in her entire life. With one hand at the small in her back, and another around the area her shoulder blades were located, Mina was instantly pulled into a warm, comfortable embrace, to which she hadn't been expecting. Her head was pulled onto Izuku's shoulder, causing her to stare up at the ceiling at a slight angle due to their height difference. Her eyes went wide like dustbin lids, and for a moment, she didn't react, allowing her arms to remain limp.

Was this how Izuku felt when he was pulled into one of her many, many unexpected hugs? A combination of fluffy warmness in her stomach, uncertainty and comfort all mixed together into one emotion that Mina hadn't been prepared for. Her sudden close proximity to her boyfriend wasn't unpleasant by any means. It never was, but there was something different about this embrace. For a short while, there was just silence, no words being exchanged between the two, or anyone who was watching them for that matter.

Seeing such a bold display of affection from Izuku had thrown everyone off guard instantly. Even if it was totally justified, Izuku tended to keep his emotions to himself unless the situation was really, really dire, was in complete and utter shock or caught off guard. No one had ever seen him get angry before, and considering everything that happened to him, he had more right than anyone to be. The only emotions he ever really showed were anxiety, worry or happiness, depending on the situation. Anything else was foreign to see from him.

Judging by the tears that Mina could now feel that ran from his eyes onto her skin, this was one of those times where he wasn't holding back what he felt. Or at least, he felt like this one of those times that he shouldn't.

"I-Izuku?"

"I saw... In Recovery Girl's tent, I saw your entire match..." The green haired boy explained, and Mina could feel his grip on her becoming tighter as he held her closer. He was actually shaking, and she could feel his hands trembling as he clung onto her. He'd watched it all, every swing, every attack, every time a chunk of concrete had nearly broken one of her bones... He'd watched all of it.

He had been glued to her fight, and had come close to breaking the table the monitors rested on from gripping hold of it too hard. It had been like a nightmare to him. Seeing someone he cared about - Someone he loved dearly - being attacked, and him powerless to do anything about it. He knew nothing of if Nedzu was actually trying to hurt them, or if they just expected Recovery Girl to heal them if something bad happened... But all the same, just watching it all happen and being unable to do anything to stop it was just... Painful.

It was a reminder... Of why he wanted to be a Hero. To help people in trouble... And to protect people he cared about. People like Mina...

Now that she was here, okay... The tears had just flown, released from his overactive ducts without him even knowing that they'd been there. "I saw... I... I'm... So... So glad you're okay..." His hold onto her seemed to just grow tighter and tighter, like he was trying to stop her from just disappearing into nothingness.

For a short moment, Mina just stood there, and allowed this to happen. For the first time in a while, she was completely taken aback by Izuku. Whoever was watching them right now hadn't moved an inch, curious about what was going on, evidentially. The world was frozen, unmoving, except for Izuku, his tight hold, and his warm, ragged and uneven breath hitting one side of Mina's face periodically, broken up by sharp stops and then equally sudden exhales, like he was shuddering.

He'd been this worried?...

Closing her eyes, Mina finally returned the hug as tight as she could, allowing Izuku to hold onto her all that he needed to. Her own hold on him provided the comfort that he'd clearly needed regarding the whole affair, and gave Mina the comfort that she needed too. "Sorry... I kinda failed the physical..."

"I'm just happy you're okay..." Izuku assured her, keeping her close to him and refusing to let go.

To their side, Kirishima allowed himself to smile. He reached down for the suitcase Mina had dropped when Izuku has collided into hugging her, and made his way into the classroom with it. As he entered the room, the other people whom had been peering from around the corner, now revealed to be Sero, Hagakure and Uraraka, seemed to also slide back into the room, sensing that this was a deeply personal moment that none of them seemed to want to interrupt.

* * *

The revelation that all students, regardless of if they passed or failed was certainly an...

Interesting one. The more that the students stayed in the class, the more they were becoming absolutely convinced that Aizawa-sensei wasn't actually as logic-driven as he liked to suggest, but more that he just liked to mess with his students. He certainly seemed to get a lot of enjoyment out of doing so. It was one of the only times he ever smiled or laughed.

Still, it had brought a hell of a lot of joy to those who had failed - Of whom Sero had now joined the ranks of due to his lacklustre performance, which translated to the fact Mineta had basically won their match for them since the Tape Quirk user was asleep for the entirety of it - As it was news that they were actually allowed to go on the trip!

...With the fact that they had to do extra work while they were there. As in, a lot of extra work. More than they would have had to if they had just opted to stay at the school in the first place. Still, beggars didn't get to be choosers, Mina thought to herself, and she just thanked whatever Gods existed that she was even allowed to go on the trip in the first place. That solved so many issues that she'd been worried and upset about that it was a completely worthwhile trade.

She and Izuku had shot each other a happy smile when it that was all revealed.

Once they had all been dismissed, Mina had practically leaped up and tackled him with a hug all of her own, all while laughing with very clear joy.

"If you two get any sweeter, you'll end up giving us all rotten teeth." Hagakure joked, skipping past the two of them to join the group gathering that was taking place just to the side of them. If she'd been visible, the young couple would have seen a smile on her face the size of a hand.

"Shush, Torru. Lemme hug him." Mina smiled, keeping her arms tightly wrapped around her boyfriend.

The majority of the class gathered around, celebrating the fact they all had a trip to look forward to going on together. Some of the students like Bakugou and Todoroki on the other hand, hung away like they usually did. On the outskirts of the conversation, Ojiro swung his bag over his shoulder and made his way over to the group. "Well, everything equal, I'm really glad we all get to go on the trip."

"Hah, this is gonna be awesome!" Kirishima declared, showing off his sharpened teeth along with his grin.

"The amount of work we're gonna have to do isn't..." Sero commented dejectedly. Despite passing the written examination, and his team passing the physical, his lack of doing anything of merit in the physical had failed him. He seemed far more depressed than the ones who had just straight up failed.

"Don't remind me." The condition was a fair trade and a completely worthwhile exchange, but that didn't mean that Mina had to be happy about having to do so much additional academia. She wasn't looking forward to that at all.

* * *

It had been at the suggestion of Hagakure that the entire class head on over to a shopping mall in Kiyashi together to purchase the equipment that they all needed as they all had varying Quirks which gave them all different physical features, for a lot of them, this could be an all-day thing, having to head to a hundred different stores, put in special requests and see if they had anything already in stock that they could use. Frankly, it could be a tedious trek of total boredom, combined only with the frustration that came with not actually succeeding that came for many people when they learned they'd wasted their entire day as not a single store had what they were looking for .

So the idea of going in a large group with classmates was one that quite a few members of 1-A were totally on board with.

Being Quirkless since birth, Izuku hadn't ever run into that sort of an issue. Excluding the natural black highlights in his hair, he had no major physical features to speak of like someone such as Ida or Shoji did. So actually acquiring the gear he needed wouldn't be that big of an issue for someone like him. That aside though, he did enjoy the idea of going out with a large group of friends to see what they could get their hands on. Again, due to being bullied because to his Quirkless origins, he'd never really gotten the opportunity to do something like that before.

And of course, Mina had been totally for it without question, signing both herself and Izuku up before he'd even fully registered what Hagakure was suggesting. When he finally did register, he threw his name down for the idea anyway.

There sheer variety of shops in the mall that had been chosen was staggering to Izuku, with hundreds, if not thousands of people all going about their various daily businesses, between going to work, to weekend window shopping, to patrolling Heroes or people just out for a walk. And the stores all sold a thousand things each, from various weightlifting equipment to specialist clothing to everything in between. Specialist stores owned by people who came from support courses like Yuuei's advertised their wares, calling over people of all manner of shapes and sizes.

Many people recognised the students from the famous Hero Academy, some even approaching their favourite students and asking for autographs, and in a few cases, a demonstration of their Quirk, which had to be declined because of the laws. Ever since the sports festival, they were treated like miniature celebrities. Izuku still got people congratulating him, patting him in the back and treating him like he was special on his morning commute to the school, and he was the one of the class that was easy to miss. Mina got that sort of treatment every time she stepped out of the house.

In short, the place was a chaotic building of business as usual.

With the exceptions of Bakugou, who straight up said that he couldn't be bothered with going shopping, and Todoroki, whom visited his mother in the hospital on his free days, the entirety of Class 1-A stood just inside the entrance, glancing around and checking with one another on what exactly they all wanted to grab hold of.

"I need to get hold of some jackets with hoods that'll work with my horns." Mina said, tapping her left extremity. She'd wrapped what looked like a bracelet around it, one that had lots of spherical beads hooked through it, all varying in size. "I'm getting kinda sick of not having any proper ones."

"You don't already have some?" Izuku questioned, finding this fact a little odd. Mina was close to sixteen, and she hadn't acquired some hoodies or jackets that had her horns taken into consideration? That didn't sound right at all.

"Dude, have you seen how expensive they are?" Questioned the pink girl. "You have to pay for design and labour on top of what the normal price would be. I've just been using ones that have really big hoods that'll go over them. I got some cash from my folks so I can buy stuff for the trip, you better believe that I'm gonna actually use it and get some stuff custom made!" She paused. "How 'bout you? What're you getting?"

"Uh… Mostly fitness equipment, I think..." Izuku said, thinking to himself what it was that he really needed. "I want to get some heavier wrist weights... Just stuff to help fine-tune my Quirk."

"I dunno..." Smirked the slightly younger girl. "Your muscles look pretty damn fine to me already." She counted down in her head from three, and suddenly Izuku was a blushing mess, covering up quickly increasing scarlet skin cells, just as planned. She'd been waiting way too long for a good opportunity to use that line.

It had been totally worth it.

"Alright!" Kirishima clapped his hands together, catching the attention of everyone around him. "Since everyone's got different ideas on what they wanna get, should we just agree to meet back here at a certain time?"

Within seconds, the class had already darted off in all different directions at the suggestion, everyone going off in different directions and different groups to get different things that they needed. It almost looked like they'd been teleported with how quickly they'd gone after the time was arranged, some heading off alone, and the majority going in groups.

Izuku on the other hand, was more dragged along by Mina, who was far too excited to get looking around to do what Izuku normally would do, which was browse and then select which stores he thought would be a good bet. Mina just dove right in, and this time, she was dragging Izuku along for the ride.

"C'mon, Izuku!" Mina chimed while she pulled him along by the hand, weaving in between various people and moving at a fast running pace. "There's a place just up here I've heard does awesome custom stuff!"

At this point, Izuku wasn't sure if her endless enthusiasm and energy was something that he'd ever fully adjust to. She'd gotten used to her overall hyperactivity that she displayed on a regular basis, but he and her had way too big a difference in that regard for Izuku to ever think he'd fully adapt to it.

Not that it was a bad thing. It kind of felt like a date, something they didn't get a lot of time for these days, and since they wouldn't get as much free time together during the trip as they'd expected… Mina was probably thinking the same way, and wanted to make the most of the time that they did get.

Just like Izuku wanted to. So instead of letting himself get dragged for any longer, he picked up his feet and joined Mina at her running pace, deciding that they should enjoy themselves while they had the chance. Also returning the grip that she had around his hand, and intertwining their fingers, he shot her a wide grin when she looked at him in surprise, before returning her trademark grin right back at him again. Instead of trying to reel back her excitement, Izuku just decided to indulge in it this time, and meet her head on in what it was that she wanted to do.

* * *

"Aww, it's like you two are on a date and it's so damn cute! Kyaaa!"

A floating phone started taking photographs of the two that Izuku wasn't sure of the purpose of, or why Hagakure would even want images of him and Mina on her phone. She was a bubbly person who just did stuff sometimes because she felt like it. She saw something she thought was cute, she'd either impulse buy it, or she'd snap a photo of it.

He just wished she'd turn the flash off on her phone. He was now seeing dull lighting after-fade across his eyes every time he closed them.

After running around to various stores, where Mina had finally gotten some custom jackets that had holes in the tops that would secure around her horns, at which Mina had jumped up and down in the air in excitement for a few times, and Izuku hag gotten hold of some of the weights he'd been wanting, the two of them had run into Hagakure, Kaminari and Ida at another store when Hagakure had gotten sight of the young couple holding hands as they walked around the place, she'd apparently lost any sort of reservations that she normally had…. If she normally had any, anyway. It was hard to tell with her.

Whatever the reason for it, she seemed to start giggling like crazy after taking the photos, browsing through them on her phone right then and there. "Ah, ah, Ashido, come check out this one!"

As Mina bounced over towards her friend to look at the image Hagakure wanted her to see, Izuku inspected the list that they had been given, mentally ticking off the things that he was going to need that he already had. In truth, there wasn't a huge amount of gear that he needed, since he had most of it at home, so he was mostly here for stuff he felt would be of additional benefit to him.

Outdoor boots, large bags, standard outing equipment, it all was in a room back home somewhere, so it wasn't going to be that difficult to find. All he felt he needed was some Quirk refining tools and a few extra shirts for when the others inevitably got mucky.

Today though, it was utterly scorching, and Izuku felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his cheek. With all the running along with Mina he'd been doing, he hadn't actually had time to note just how parched he was. His throat felt dry like sand, and suddenly the only thing that he could think about was getting some refreshments to quench that thirst.

"Hey, Mina, I'm gonna grab a soda or something. You want one?" He called over, seeing that his girlfriend and her friend were looking through the clothing sections at this point, holding up cloths against themselves to get a vague idea on how they would look once they actually tried them on, or if they even wanted to bother trying them on at all. Izuku couldn't help but think that this had to be a far easier task for Hagakure – If she liked the look of a shirt and it fit, she could just buy it. She didn't need to worry about colour clash or anything else that fashionable people might worry about.

The pink skinned girl's ears seemed to perk when Izuku asked this question. "Oooh, Yeah, thanks!" Reaching into her shorts pockets, she produced several small metal coins and threw them Izuku's way. "I'll take something orange flavoured I they've got it! I'll wait here for you."

"Sounds good." Izuku nodded after he'd caught the coins firmly between both of his hands, fumbling with them for a second before smiling. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he left the store they were in, scanning around for vending machines, or a store that dealt with soft drinks and the likes, with a spring practically under his feet with every step. He was smiling a lot of the time today, as was Mina. He was in a fantastic mood and he didn't even know where to begin, but there were a lot of reasons for it. They were all going on a trip soon, and Mina got to go as well, even though she'd failed the test to do so, and he was here along with everyone at the Kiyashi ward mall…

When he stopped to think about it, his life had improved so, so much in these last few months. It had done an entire One-eighty ever since he'd met All Might, and totally changed for the better the moment he was accepted into Yuuei.

He now had a Quirk, the power to follow his dreams. He'd made friends and was learning how to be a Hero.

And everything had improved so drastically ever since he met Mina. No matter how hard he tried to think of other reasons why, the source of his happiness was largely thanks to Mina. They'd only been together for a few of months when he actually stopped to think about it, but he felt like she'd always been there with him.

The amount of love he felt for her was just immeasurable. It really was… Though he could still do without her constant attempts at embarrassing him. She left him flustered most of the time anyway, she really didn't need to try any harder at it.

Thinking of that… His mind returned to a thought that he'd had a few days ago, one that had a conclusion to it that he hadn't really lingered on… Or particularly wanted to linger on.

The fact that, despite how deeply he did love Mina… He'd never actually said it to her.

He'd never had a girlfriend, or even a crush that he had been completely and utterly serious about before. Even when he'd had a crush on Uraraka, he'd never really thought much about what dating someone would fully entail. He'd always assumed that, if it ever happened, that it would just come naturally to him. And to an extent, he had been right, he'd gone on dates now, he'd experienced his first kiss, and many more after that, and learned to just enjoy the here and now along with the person he liked instead of thinking to the distant future like he always did.

The difference between the two of them though, aside from the other thousand things from personality to physical features… Was that Mina wasn't afraid to let Izuku know how she felt about him. She was very open with her feelings and displayed constant affection, in public and in private. She was very willing to let people around her know that they were dating, almost like she was bragging in a certain sense of the word, though Izuku didn't know if that was the case, or if she was just excitable.

Izuku on the other hand…

He'd been reserved for years, and it had practically been conditioned into him from his Quirkless days. Keep quiet, don't speak out of turn, and don't stand out. As he'd grown older, he'd forgone those a bit when it came to his dream of becoming a Hero, but overall he just tried to stay out of trouble, and he didn't fight or stand up for himself. Basically, he was used to keeping his emotions to himself…

And he hadn't managed to shake that particular shackle yet. As he'd grown, he'd always believed that if he expressed himself too much, someone, somewhere would come crashing down to knock him down a peg. Now he was in Yuuei, he was getting that particular idea out of his head… But there was still a certain level or fear within him.

The days to being back in middle school rushed into his head when he thought about expressing how he felt about Mina to her. It was the same as when he expressed to his classmates who had Quirks about his dream of being a Hero.

Ridicule. Shame. Neglect and rejection overall.

In his brain, he knew he was being totally ridiculous. Mina wasn't anything like the people he want to middle school with. She had a dislike for Bakugou, the only other person she knew he went to middle school with. Mina clearly loved him, and even he wasn't able to deny that, no matter how absurd it did seem to him. He knew that he was valued to her.

But the irrational part of his brain just refused to let go. That if he ever said the he loved her, she'd change her mind about him like a switch, and that would be the end of these times where he actually felt like he was alive.

…Yet in his head at this exact moment, those thoughts were silent. Like they knew they couldn't push Izuku away from saying these things to his girlfriend for much longer, because she was too damn good at putting them to rest when she was around that they were just getting weaker and tired from trying to stop him.

He was in such a good mood, and his brain was freed from doubts…

A bigger smile made its way onto his face. He was going to tell her. He'd grab these drinks, take one back to her, and when the two of them separated from the others, he'd explain all of this to her and say three simple words that expressed every complex and confusing thing he felt about her.

'I love you.'

After searching for a few moments, he spotted a vending machine not too far away from the store he'd left, miraculously without a line the size of a truck to wait for usage of the thing. It didn't take him particularly long to head over and use the coins Mina gave him for her drink, and several for his own. He would have paid for Mina's himself, but she'd already thrown them over to him, so he might as well use them. About sixty seconds later, he was walking back with two soft drinks, one orange flavoured and the other lemon flavoured.

"No way! You're one of them Yuuei kids, right? Awesome! Hey, you gotta gimme an autograph or somethin'!" From behind him as he thought these things, a person, probably a few years older than him, seemed to call out for Izuku.

"Huh?" As an automatic response, Izuku's head turned slightly to get a better look at the person who was calling out towards him. He only saw the colours of a black jacket and equally black jeans before he suddenly found himself with an arm wrapped around the back of his neck, which knocked his head forward slightly. "Ooof!"

"Ain't you the kid who got smashed up at the Sports festival?"

"Aaghh… Yes… That's me…" Izuku managed to sputter out. Whoever this person was, they certainly didn't hold back and didn't have respect for the concept of personal space, though Izuku didn't mind too much. He was a student at Yuuei. A year ago, he'd probably have done the same thing, albeit far more timidly. He was really being watched by all sorts of people. It reminded him that his school truly was incredible.

He was in the next generation of Heroes. Of course people would be watching him – He was now one of the people he'd watched for over a decade now.

"Weren't you at Hosu when Stain was cuttin' people up? You're freakin cool!"

"Thank you….?" Izuku had to chuckle lightly. He was trying to be polite…. But this was weird.

Something didn't feel right about this situation. Something felt… Off. Ominous. Like there was some sort of primal sense he was experience that was implying danger…. That he should be getting away from this person while he still had the chance.

"I'm surprised! To meet you again, some place like this!"

Izuku's eyes widened. Again? It suddenly clicked, and he dared to look slightly up at this person, who had now come closer towards him.

"I think this must be destiny, or fate, or something like that, don't you think? Something like that…" As he spoke, Izuku quickly felt that his throat was being wrapped around by a hand, fingers digging into his skin, with the exclusion of the middle finger, which hovered just above his skin.

It couldn't be…

"I suppose… The last time you saw me though… Was back during the Yuuei Invasion"

Wrinkled skin that was pale, like it had barely ever seen sunlight, couples with small, focused red eyes that almost looked dead, like they were disillusioned with the very existence of the world itself. They almost seemed sharp and dull at the same time. The smallest of cars was underneath his right eye, and the left side of his lips. Pale blue hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks fell in front of his face, leaving gaps so these eyes could glare towards Izuku.

"Why don't you and I go have some tea… Midoriya Izuku?"

Shigaraki Tomura. The acting leader of the League of Villains… The person who lead the attack on the USJ… The person who had the goal to kill All Might… The person who had nearly killed Izuku the last time they'd run into one another.

He was here. And he had Izuku literally in his grasp.

Izuku's mind was racing, suddenly trying to come up with a thousand escape strategies or reasons why Shigaraki would even be here, or what it was that he wanted. He could already feel sweat running down his forehead, his teeth gritting automatically. What the hell was going on?

Was the Kiyashi ward about to come under Villain attack? Was he about to be used as a hostage by this Villain to get some sort of way to attract All Might toward him? Or was he just absolutely insane, as was just going to kill Izuku because he happened to run into him.

"You know… You're a real pain." Shigaraki commented, looking straight forward. His eyes laid rest on the store Izuku had just been in, where Mina presumably still was inside, along with Hagakure, Kaminari and Ida. Were they all okay, Izuku wondered, feeling his heartbeat race increase exceptionally quickly. "I've had to trail you for hours now… You just wouldn't stay still…"

He'd been following them? Izuku shuddered.

"Don't move. Don't panic. Calm down and control your breathing… We're just old friends meeting up for the first time in a long while. Act like it." How the hell was he supposed to not panic in this situation?! "I just want to have a little talk. That's alright, isn't it? Don't even think about making a scene… And before you think up any clever tricks, you ask what will happen if you don't play along?..."

From his other hand, the insane villain held an expensive looking watch of some kind in his palm for Izuku to clearly see. In a flash, all of his fingers rested upon the metallic surface, and it began to crumble into nothingness. The implication was clear.

No one else had seen it. Shigaraki had made sure of that. "My Quirk lets me disintegrate anything I want the second all my fingers touch something… And since only one of my fingers isn't currently wrapped around your neck… Use your imagination." He then lowered his vice, as if to contradict his instruction. "It won't take less than sixty seconds for you to be a pile of dust in the wind."

"I-if you do…. A Hero from the crowd…. T-They'll catch you." Izuku managed to force out, fully understanding that he was on a very, very dangerous rope here.

"Of course….But look. There isn't a single person here who would use their Quirk as a weapon… they all trust that no one would do something like that…" Shigaraki seemed to have a wrinkly grin on his face, a sight which, frankly, terrified Izuku. "You know… I could probably kill about twenty… Or thirty of them…"

Internally, Izuku swore.

"Hell, I could probably get that girlfriend of yours if I wanted to…"

On impulse, Izuku suddenly forgot about his position, and shifted his neck around to glare at Shigaraki right in the eye, with uncharacteristic anger. Though he certainly caught the Villain off guard, he didn't make the move to kill Izuku, rather, he seemed to wait for his reaction. Izuku wasn't even aware that he was doing so, but when he met the Villain glare, he spoke boldly and threateningly.

"If you lay a hand on her, I'll fucking kill you!"

For a short while, the two stared at one another, Izuku frankly in disbelief that he'd even spoken so boldly… Yet he stood by it.

"Not a good idea to reveal your weakness to the enemy… Is it 'Hero'?"

When he realized what he'd just essentially done, Izuku knew he'd lost. Defeated, and knowing he'd accidentally put Mina in even more danger, he resigned himself, returning to facing forward, his head slightly slumped forward, cursing himself for talking before he'd thought about this properly. He hated the fact he couldn't do anything… All he could do was do whatever it took to make sure that Shigaraki didn't hurt anyone else.

Even if it meant he got himself killed.

"… What… Do you want to talk about?.."

"That's the spirit…" Shigaraki grinned, before tugging on Izuku's neck, pulling him towards a set of benches. "You're being a good sport here… Let's go sit down. That way we can talk comfortably… Relaxed."

* * *

 **There was a LOT I wanted to fit into this chapter. I don't like changing the canon too much because at the end of the day, this story is mostly a character study and started out as a writing exercise before I learn you guys all loved it like you did. So, I'm sticking to canon, but I've got a few ideas I think you'll love.**

 **Mina in this chapter, I feel would be depressed more for Izuku than herself. She doesn't strike me as the type to think about herself in a situation like I put them into - And lets all be honest, We all thought Nedzu was gonna be a pushover. I really thought Mina and Kaminari were more likely to win than Izuku and Bakugou were. Hence why I did all of that. I didn't change the outcome... Because I've got a few ideas I can play around with thanks to the canon in this one.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, and that you're as excited as I am for future chapters ^_^ See ya!**


	21. The Risks

Humming to herself, and finding herself wondering just where the hell Izuku was anymore, Mina sat on a bench on her own, kicking her feet back and forth in an in vain effort to find some kind of amusement in her total boredom. Izuku had been gone for quite a while now, and Ida, Kaminari and Hagakure had already moved along. Though they asked if she wanted to join them, Mina declined in order to wait for her boyfriend.

Who was certainly taking his sweet time. Where had he even run off to? It wasn't like the mall was lacking in places to acquire drinks. Had he gotten lost? How had he even managed to do that? It wasn't like he had a particularly bad sense of direction. If anything, he was more focused than the average person.

She'd sent him a few text messages, but it seemed like his phone was set to go to silent or vibrate mode whenever he received a text. Normally he would answer rather quickly to any messages that he received, since he checked it regularly enough to get updates on the various updates regarding Heroes in the media. But apparently he just wasn't checking his phone right now. Had it died? Unlikely. Izuku was the type of person to make certain that his phone was good to go before heading out, making it seem improbable that that was the case. Maybe he'd just forgotten to charge it?

Mina found herself absentmindedly browsing through her social media on her mobile device, liking a few posts by some of her old friends from middle school, responding to a couple of comments by some of those same friends who still couldn't quite get over the fact Mina had been in the Sports Festival, and a few that wanted to see this cute boy she kept mentioning in their chats. In truth, she was really just killing time until Izuku finally showed up.

Instead, when someone did actually call her name out, it wasn't even close to being Izuku's voice.

"Ashido?" When Mina looked who was calling her name, she saw that Uraraka had approached her, a plastic bag in her left hand that she made sure not to hit with every one of her finger pads in case her Quirk activated, and a look that seemed to border both curiosity and a certain sort of pity. "What's up? Why you sat here alone?"

"Oh, hey Ochako." Mina greeted, putting a smile on her face. Lowering her phone to her lap, she decided that engaging in conversation with the brunette in front of her was going to be far more entertaining than just browsing through her phone. "You on your own as well?"

Awkwardly laughing lightly, Uraraka nodded, her rosy cheeks reddening up just a bit. "Everyone rushed off before I could join a group. Everyone seemed to have their own ideas on what they wanted to get. I just went and got some bug spray and some drinks."

"Hey, you could hang with me and Izuku." Mina cheerfully offered with a huge smile on her face. "Once he gets back, anyway..."

"Back?"

"He said he was gonna get us some drinks like, ten minutes ago but he's still not shown up. I wouldn't mind but I can see literally three vending machines from here." She held up her phone, switched onto standby to help punctuate her next sentence. "I've tried his phone and everything, but either he's not getting a signal or his phones dead. I'm just waiting for him is all."

"Ah." Taking the open seat next to her classmate, Uraraka placed her carrying bag on her lap, and her rucksack on the floor by her feet. She offered Mina a polite smile and spoke with equal softness. "I was gonna say, you and Deku are pretty joined at the hip these days. I was surprised that he wasn't with you. You did kinda drag him along earlier."

"He still hangs with you and Iida, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. He's a lot more sociable with people now." Realising the tone that she was using, the Zero Gravity user held up her hands, rapidly waving them from side to side as if defend against incoming projectiles. "I-I'm not trying to sound like I'm trying to accuse you of something or anything! It makes perfect sense, you two are dating after all! It wouldn't be too good if you barely even spoke!"

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it." Mina shook her head with a smile. "I know you didn't mean to sound like that." The two of them were on fairly good terms, and they could even say that they were friends, despite not having really interacted in any meaningful way for a few weeks. In spite of that, Mina knew Uraraka and her personality well. She wasn't the type of person to try and start a fight for no reason, or to come up and try to accuse someone of something they clearly weren't doing. "And besides, even if you did mean it like that, you two were friends first. You kinda have a right to be a bit annoyed with me for stealing him away from you guys, y'know."

"But you two're dating. That means he should be giving your priority. It's a good thing that he does."

"I guess." Mina conceded, leaning back in her seat, and placing her palms against the cool metallic surface she sat on. On this abnormally warm day, the coldness of the metal felt good against her skin. "I'm kinda surprised you're cool with me and him going out if I'm honest with you."

This sentence seemed to cause Uraraka some distress, causing her to suddenly start blushing and to look towards Mina like she'd just been uncovered with a deposit of hard-core drugs in her purse that she had planned on selling. "W-Why?"

"I was certain you had a crush on him after the Sports Festival. Like, totally convinced."

The girls brown eyes seemed to widen for a second, before she smiled gently and looked forward, watching people pass by for a moment. Calming down rapidly, her blush faded within a couple of seconds, cooling off her quick and overzealous reaction rapidly. She reached into her plastic bag, and pulled out a soft drink of her own, a plastic bottle as opposed to a metallic can that Mina normally drunk from. "Wanna drink?"

"Sure."

After twisting off the cap and releasing the built up carbonated gas that the drink gave off, Uraraka handed the bottle to Mina, whom took it and ingested several large gulps from the liquid. She was utterly parched after running around all day, the earlier jogging sprees from running from store to store were now catching up to her, coupled with the heat, leaving her totally dehydrated.

"Ahhhh..." She finally sighed, handing the bottle back to its owner, about half empty. "Thanks." When she noticed just how much she'd drunk as her friend took back her bottle, Mina felt a small wave of guilt wash over her. Routing in her pockets for some coins, she apologised. "Oh, geez, sorry about that, I'll pay for it. Does three hundred yen sound about right?"

"No, no need to do that." Insisted Uraraka, shaking her head rapidly and smiling. She then took a drink herself, and afterwards, sealed the bottle with the cap again. A few moments passed by in silence, before she spoke up again. "E-Even if I did like Deku... He likes you more, so... I can't really complain, or say anything about it... Aside from the fact I'm really happy for the both of you."

Uraraka was a nice person, Mina remembered, giving her friend a warm smile again. She still was certain that had she and Izuku not started dating beforehand, Uraraka and he would have started dating. That much she was certain of, and she was so glad that it hadn't played out that way. She loved her relationship with Izuku, and loved him just as much, making it hard to even begin to imagine a world without him, or her life without their relationship. If Uraraka had opposed them, she would have still stayed with Izuku anyway, but she was happy that she didn't have to cut off a friendship to do that.

"Thanks, Ochako. That means a lot, and I know it means a lot to Izuku too. Speaking of which..." Tapping the screen of her phone multiple time, Mina attempted calling him again, but with the exact same results as last time reoccurring. "God damn it, what's going on..."

A part of her was actually starting to get worried about him. It wasn't like him. She was beginning to think that something bad had happened to him, something that was preventing him from checking in with her. Was it just misplaced paranoia?

It was difficult to explain, but there was something niggling at Mina's brain that something wasn't right. Like there was something going on that just couldn't be explained rationally, just a vague feeling of impending danger. No matter how much she put it down to her just overthinking things in a way that would make Izuku's anxiety proud, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on.

Instincts were ruling over common sense. It just wasn't explainable.

"Maybe we should try looking for him." Uraraka suggested, standing back onto her feet. She slid the plastic bottle into the bag of the same material and began to look around at the crowds. "We could be here all day waiting for him otherwise."

Nodding, Mina rose to her feet too. "Yeah, good idea." Any longer, and Mina felt like she was going to go a little crazy waiting for her Izuku to show up. Slinging her bag over her shoulders, she glanced around the place, checking to see if she could catch a glimpse of him beforehand. "You check the foyer, and I'll look around here, yeah? You've got my phone number, I'll let you know if I find him."

* * *

"You've seen both of us in action... So you tell me... What do you think the difference is between me and the Hero Killer? At the end of it all, didn't we both just destroy stuff we didn't like?"

His voice truly was one that sent shivers down Izuku's spine. Every word he uttered felt like Ice, quiet and filled with a murderous intent that Izuku hadn't felt since Stain. This guy was terrifying in his own right. Unlike Stain though, he lacked any sense of honour whatsoever.

He was going to be more than happy to kill everyone here on a whim. And he had Izuku hostage, and so many lives, including his own, rested on the answer of one question...

What did Izuku think the difference was between Stain and the League of Villains...

Between the Hero killer, and Shigaraki Tomura?

While he was fully aware that his life was in the hands, quite literally, of said leagues leader, said Villain, Izuku could think of very few answers that he could give that would be valid, to give this psychopath the answer that he was looking for. Even lying wasn't going to satisfy this madman. He was smarter than he looked, as evidenced by the fact that he'd managed to get Izuku into this position in the first place, completely in public, and put his life in direct danger without anyone noticing.

Lying was a sure-fire way to get a death sentence, and Izuku would prefer to avoid that at whatever cost. At the same time, it wasn't truly just him that was the hostage here. Everyone around him was at risk too. Mina... Mina was at risk.

There wasn't any genuine reason to suspect that Shigaraki would go out of his way to kill Mina. Izuku would be dead by then, so the message would be totally wasted. Then again, if Izuku was killed, then there would be nothing whatsoever to save the Disintegration Quirk user from the Heroes. He might kill her just to send a message to the rest of Yuuei. And what sort of cell could even hold a person who destroyed things by touching them?...

His thoughts instantly turned towards Mina, and he wondered if the last time he had seen her was truly going to be the last time. That he was going to die here and be nothing but dust. That there wouldn't even be a body for her to mourn over. The pain he felt when he envisioned a situation where Mina was taken from him... It wasn't even describable. Like a knife made of shattered glass had been taken to his heart, his stomach, and his lungs, leaving him broken, unable to breath and wanting to vomit.

Was he about to subject her to the same pain by getting killed here?

His thoughts then went over to his mother, his family, his friends... Would they all feel the same if he died?

And on a more personal level... He was living the life he'd dreamed of all his life. He was finally learning to become a Hero. He had a Quirk, and he was able to dedicate himself to helping people.

Was... Was it was going to all be cut short like this?

"What do I..." What did he do? What did he say? What answer could he give that could satisfy Shigaraki?

When he thought about it... Was there any real guarantee that the Villain would even let him go after this? As far as he was concerned, Izuku was a pain in his side. A Hero in Training that had foiled him once before, and was on his way to become the very thing that Shigaraki despised the most. What reason did he even have to let him walk away from this?

To escape the Heroes, perhaps... But this was the man who had launched an attack on the USJ, so he clearly wasn't afraid of Heroes. There was nothing to say that he didn't have the person with the Warp Gate Quirk nearby to make a quick escape.

Making a struggle or scene was totally pointless... He'd be killed instantly. And if he was serious about his threat...

He was... Truly stuck. With no real way to get out of this situation... All he could do was go along with the terms Shigaraki had handed out.

"...What do I think... The difference between you is?..." His voice was clearly shaky, betraying the clear fear Izuku had, yet in spite of it, he spoke boldly, not taking his glare away from the blood red eyes of his captor. "You... You're both Villains. I don't accept either of you... And you use you Quirks and violence to get whatever it is you want..."

The answer so far only seemed to serve in agitating the Villain, and from his neck, Izuku felt his fingers and uneven, chewed nails dig deeper into his flesh. The wrinkles around his eyes seemed to increase as he stared at the young Hero, his intent to kill clearer than ever before.

Not the answer he wanted to hear. There was something, some sort of clear desire to hear that he was different to the Hero Killer in some way, some distinct way. Given how closely the League had been tied to the Hero Killer, and this obvious hatred Shigaraki felt towards him, he wanted confirmation that he was different. That he wasn't like Stain.

But to Izuku... He was worse.

"But... I can at least understand Stain's ideals." He declared, his opinions and bravery increasing as the situation unfolded. Speaking became easier, like he was growing used to the danger of his precarious predicament. "I don't understand... Or accept you whatsoever... But the Hero Killer... I think that Stain had an idea on how he felt that the world needed to change for the better... And when I was there... I could feel his conviction." In one act of defiance, one he well and truly felt could be his last, he made sure Shigaraki looked him right in the eye. "And he didn't give up so easily. The Hero Killer might have gone about it the wrong way... But he stayed true to his beliefs and tried to make things better. That's what I think the difference is between you two."

For the briefest of moments, nothing happened, and Izuku was just waiting, with teeth clenched and his breath cut as he awaited the final digit from his holders hand to touch his skin and end his life. Sweat was soaking into his clothes as he awaited the final tap that would cause his skin to start decaying.

And then suddenly, it was like a lightning bolt struck the crazed Villain, and he jolted in one quick, unexpected movement that took Izuku by surprise. For a second, he thought that Shigaraki had followed through with his threat and activated his Quirk against him, but after a sharp intake, he realised that wasn't the case.

Instead, the young man was smiling.

"Ah... I think I get it now..." With his free hand, excluding his pinkie finger, he grabbed hold of his forehead like he was massaging it, his wrist covering up the majority of his wrinkled face in doing so. He seemed unaware, but his grip on Izuku tightened. "It all makes sense now... Like everything just connected in my head... Why I hate that Hero Killer bastard... And why you piss me off." He smiled at Izuku suddenly, showing off his wrinkled, scars, cracks and everything else. "It's all because of All Might."

Still increasing his death grip around Izuku's throat, his middle finger seemed to hover ever so closer towards the skin of the Yuuei student, threatening to reduce him to dust. Izuku leaned as far back as he could go, finding himself trapped by the previously mentioned death grip, which just kept digging deeper into his neck.

"No matter what the issue is... All Might always seems to be the cause of it... Ahhhh... I don't know why I was ever upset. And you... You're like him, way, way too much..."

In this moment, Izuku knew it was literally do or die. Shigaraki was lost in his own head, no longer concerning himself with what was happening in reality. He wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, and even if it was accidental now, he was going to wind up killing Izuku.

So Izuku struggled. With a quick motion, he grabbed hold of his captor's wrist and began to tug at the pale skin, praying that his natural physical strength was going to be enough to force the Villain off of him, to no avail. Shigaraki had a few years on him, and he was deceptively stronger than he looked. His clutch onto Izuku was deep, nails practically underneath his skin at this point. He could feel the blood escaping his body, but it was of little to absolutely no concern to him. He kept trying to pry off his wrists, to gain a shot at freedom.

"Stop struggling!" Shigaraki suddenly hissed. "Didn't I warn you what would happen?.."

The laws be damned - Izuku bit his lip, and got ready to activate One For All. He might have a slight chance if he used his Quirk to -

"Izuku?"

Izuku's blood ran cold. 'No.' He thought to himself again and again and again. 'For the love of God, please, not her.'

"Izuku? What the - What the hell?"

The altercation stopped for a second as soon as Mina came into view, with the clearest look of confusion on her face. A smile was imprinted onto her lips, clearly happy to have found the boy, but her eyes showed that she understood what was going on now, and that she was in disbelief at what she was seeing, all in one.

Why was she here? Izuku quickly figured out that she had come looking for him - He had been gone for a while, after all. She was worried about him. She couldn't know what she'd done - She'd put herself in far more danger than she could even begin to understand. Every sense Izuku had screamed at him to get her away from this situation.

"M-Mina, it's okay! Don't come any closer, I'm fine! Just - Just go!"

It wasn't clear though, if Mina even heard him. She didn't react to what he'd said, and seemed to be doing to total opposite, taking a step closer towards the hostage and his captor. Instead of turning around and running away, without a trace of intimidation or fear, she looked at Shigaraki, though she probably had no idea who he even was, and made a tight fist with her right hand, what looked like sweat running down her knuckles.

Izuku knew that it was something very different to sweat, and he wanted to yell at her to stop, and to just get out of here before Shigaraki hurt her, but a clench in his throat left him unable to speak again as Shigaraki prepared to do something. A second later, Mina's hand reopened, a pool of Acid dripping from her skin, dripping through her fingers and creating droplets on the floor below her, a sizzling sound emitting from the reaction.

She glared right at the Villain and spoke with gritted teeth. "Let him go."

"Sorry!" Throwing his hands in the air and laughing as he did so, Shigaraki instantly let go of Izuku, and stood up at the same time, an action that caused Izuku to get knocked onto the ground, away from the Disintegration Quirk user. "I didn't realise he was here with people! I'll get going now!"

"The hell you are." Declared the Acid Quirk user, her Quirk activating along her whole arm as she got ready to strike this person. She didn't have the first clue who he was, but he wasn't going to get away with trying to do what he was going to do to Izuku!

"M-Mina!"

Her attention was quickly caught by a coughing Izuku, whom had his hand firmly gripped around his pained neck. She could seem small trails of crimson running down his hands from the wounds in his neck. Struggling for breath, but forcing himself to speak, he managed to wheeze out a single word towards her.

"Don't..."

The activation of her Quirk had caught the attention of multiple passers-by, stopping and staring at the blatant disregard for the law. Izuku was the only person who was capable of understanding the danger that this posed, but if Mina kept calling attention to his captor... Then all their lives were at risk.

Mina couldn't know this. All she had seen was her boyfriend in trouble. Of course she would react this way. But this couldn't be a worse time for her to do so. He had to make sure she didn't push this any further...

"Please..." He looked at her, pleading with his eyes. "Don't do it..."

"Smart turn, Midoriya Izuku..." Shigaraki muttered, making his way through a part of the crowd that wasn't quite staring at him like they'd figured out who he was yet.

Although she still wasn't sure what was going on, Mina trusted Izuku, and stopped using her Quirk. Quickly, she ran over to her sputtering boyfriend, helping him sit upright, and trying to help him feel more comfort in whatever way possible. "What the hell Izuku, are you okay?!"

Though he felt like he'd just been choked with barbed wire, Izuku was fine, if a bit uneasy. With his right hand, he gave her a weak thumbs up to indicate that he was fine, relatively speaking. Breathing was hard, his throat dry as sand, leaving his windpipe feeling like he'd swallowed a mouthful of gravel, not to mention the fact that he was drenched in a cold sweat, but he was alright.

"Take it easy, Izuku, take it easy." Mina fumbled for her phone with her left hand to make a call to someone, while trying to keep Izuku upright with her right. Located on her collarbone, she attempted to sooth his wounds with gentle contact, hoping that it would do something to help ease the pain. A bead of sweat was running down her own forehead. Her answers would have to wait.

"Shiga... Raki..." Forcing out words, Izuku managed to choke out the name of his captor, far more meekly and quieter than he had intended for it to be. He struggled for a moment, trying to regain his voice by clearing his throat before trying again. "Tomura... Shigaraki."

"Izuku?"

Staggering into his feet, and moving his girlfriend's hand away from his collarbone, the One for All holder found his voice. With a loud yell, one final outburst, Izuku yelled at his retreating attacker. "What's All For One planning, Shigaraki?!"

"Don't know." Was the simple answer. As he walked into the crowd, no one there seeming to notice, or even hear him as he spoke. "But the next time that I see you... It'll be because I decided to kill you."

* * *

"This is bullshit!" Mina yelled for probably the fifth time during this interrogation. She threw herself back into her seat and glared at the officer, a policeman with the head of a cat whom went by the name of Tamakawa, who had been ordered to lecture and interrogate her on what had happened.

The explanation as to what she had seen had been very simple, and had been done within ten minutes, as Mina complied and answered every question that she was asked in detail and in full. That had all been fine. From it, and Izuku, she'd learned that it had been the Villain Shigaraki Tomura, the leader of the League of Villains, that had taken him hostage. She'd also learned about the threat that he'd made to Izuku, that he'd kill everyone around him if Izuku made any efforts to escape.

That was all fine, and Mina understood all of that perfectly well.

What she couldn't even begin to comprehend right now was the lecture that she was getting because she'd activated her Quirk in public. "My boyfriend was being held hostage, what did you want me to do?! Sing him a song until he submitted and gave up?!"

"You're going to need to calm down." Tamakawa repeated, scratching behind one of his feline ears while he waited for the young girl to calm herself down. "As I said, the use of Quirks is illegal because if everyone was allowed to use their Quirks – "

"Then the world would become lawless and people would use their powers to do whatever they want, yeah, I already know that." Mina cut off the officer. Normally, she had more patience and was able to be more rational about this sort of thing, but today had become an absolute disaster, and her worry for Izuku was far more overpowering than anything else. She was at the point where she couldn't care less about the laws regarding Quirks as long as he was okay. "I know all about Provisional Licenses and Hero exception for Quirks. But what's even the point if I can't use my Quirk to protect someone? That isn't against the law!"

"Appropriate use of your Quirk is lawful, like appropriate use of force against someone who is assaulting you. The same if you're acting in the defence of someone else." The cat-like person explained. "Your Quirk is one that could have caused a lot of damage to both property and the civilians around you. The situation was volatile and you…" In that moment, the sentence began to trail off, and Sana let out a long winded sigh. "You know, I do actually agree with you. In your situation, I would have done the exact same thing with my own Quirk. Police aren't supposed to use Quirks when we deal with Villains and crooks, so we're kind of in the same boat as you civilians are, but there's been a bunch of times when I've come close to using my powers in the line of duty. It's not like I don't get where you're coming from."

Upon hearing those words, Mina sighed herself, and sat back down in the seat she had been provided with, resting her forehead in her hands and letting herself take a few long, steady breaths, to try to calm herself down. Deep down she knew the reasons why she was being lectured about using her Quirk. Acid allowed her to generate the aforementioned liquid at will from any part in her body, but it didn't grant her the ability to manipulate it. She just sort of threw it as her targets and hoped for the best. Had she been careless, she could have easily given someone a hydrofluoric burn.

But when she'd seen Izuku in that position… She couldn't stop herself.

She'd thought that she was going to lose him in that moment… that he was just going to go from her life just as everything had started going awesome. She hadn't ever been happier in her life than when she was with Izuku… And it might have been selfish of her, but she didn't want those times to ever stop. Using her Quirk against that Villain… She'd been aware that she'd have to suffer the consequences for doing so… But in the moment… They hadn't mattered one bit.

"…How… Is Izuku?" She dared ask, not able to look the officer in the eyes, a mixture of shame and fear of the answer preventing her from being able to turn exchange glances with him.

The officer smiled and assured her gently. "Don't worry, as soon as his questioning is over, he'll be free to go. Other than his spook, he's absolutely fine. The Villain who had hold of him didn't seem to use any sort of Quirk or device or anything of the sort against him in any way."

Allowing herself to let out a long sigh of pure relief, Mina felt herself coming close to letting tears of gratitude go to whatever deities existed in this universe that Izuku was okay. "Thank God… Can I see him?"

"Once he's finished being questioned. He shouldn't be much longer now. Right, I should go over all this stuff with you… But I think we both know that you already knew this." The policemen said, tapping his papers against the desk to neatly align them up, before placing them on the edge of the table. "Do you have any relatives you can call to come pick you up, or do you need an officer to transport you home?"

"I'll manage… Thanks." Mina said, standing up and bowing before she exited the interrogation room, leaving Tamakawa in there to do whatever jobs he had to do while he remained there.

It was late, so late that the sun had fallen behind the buildings and left night in its wake. From the large, open windows of the police station, Mina was able to see this, and wondered just how long it had been since she and Izuku had been brought to the station. Mina hadn't been required to go, but she had insisted, whereupon she had been reprimanded when many of the officers figured about that she had used her Quirk. The fact that she was a Yuuei student apparently hadn't been enough to prove her non-malicious intent anyone that hadn't been her target.

She'd never had an issue with it before, but this just felt petty almost. It was just so immeasurably frustrating that overrode any common sense that she had regarding the subject. All things considered, she's gotten off fairly lightly. She struggled to decide if that was a blessing or not. Wasn't one of the perks of becoming a Hero the ability to use ones Quirk in public? It had been a huge incentive for Mina to become one. With a power like hers, without a Hero licence she may never have gotten the opportunity to use her Quirk freely. It was one of the many things that had made her sign up for the Hero Course.

Deciding that allowing herself to become frustrated with things wasn't going to solve anything, she let out a long winded sigh and allowed the thoughts to exit her mind. Instead she decided to just worry about Izuku, and await for his release.

Everyone else from their class had already gone home after the shopping mall had to be shut down due to the altercation, so Mina had spent a fair amount of time texting her classmates and assuring them all that they were okay. Even Todoroki heard the news from their classmates and attempted to reach Izuku. When he didn't answer, the Half-Cold-Half-Hot boy had inquired with Mina. How he got her number, she had no idea, but she decided that she'd blame Yaoyarozu since she was the only person that she knew who had both their numbers. With the exception of Bakugou, who unsurprisingly didn't give a damn, Mina had gone out of her way to message everyone in their entire class. It spoke a lot about how they all saw her and Izuku.

As she debated checking her phone again in case someone had asked her for a few more details, she made her way towards the waiting room. Since it was next to the exit, or at least one of the exits anyway, Izuku would probably make his way through here when he was released from questioning. At this late time, there weren't too many people here, everyone who was there though, had evidentially come alone, as no one was sat even close to another waiter.

When Mina glanced around looking for a place where she could sit down, she spotted a rather chubby woman with green hair sat in one of the corners of the waiting room. It took her about three seconds to recognise the woman as Inko, Izuku's mother. Mina recalled meeting her when she had visited Izuku's home, and remembered his mother being rather jolly and kind. Right now though, she looked utterly devastated, with a pile of used tissues on the floor by her feet. She was worried sick, which was so clear that Mina absentmindedly forgot to even acknowledge it. Weary on her feet, Mina made her way over to the older woman, with the intent of trying to cheer her up if she could manage that.

After a moment's hesitation, during which she briefly considered letting her cry out however much she needed to, she spoke to get Inko's attention. "Mrs. Midoriya?"

When Inko looked over towards Mina, she seemed surprised that she was here. While Inko had been made aware that Izuku was going out with the majority of his class today, which wordlessly included Mina, she had assumed that the pink girlfriend of her son had already been sent home. She stopped her crying for a moment to stare at the Acid Quirk user, and attempted to weakly smile. "O-Oh, Ashido-san. I didn't see you there. I-I thought that you'd already be sent home."

"It's still just Mina." Smiled Mina, trying to lighten the mood. "I just got let out of interrogation… They had to give me a lecture about Quirk usage."

"Qu-Quirk usage?"

"…I may have come close to throwing Acid at the person who had hold of Izuku." Admitted the teenage girl, slightly meekly, despite the fact she was proud that she'd jumped right to her boyfriend's defence. "Only really stopped because Izuku asked me to."

Inko made a gesture for Mina to sit down next to her, which the pink girl accepted. Using yet another tissue to wipe the tears that were rapidly felling from her eyes, Inko sniffled upon hearing all of this.

"Geez, I see where Izuku gets it from…" Muttered Mina, before quickly realizing her unintentional rudeness. "Sorry, I didn't – "

"It's quite okay. My husband says the same thing." Inko sniffed again. "I didn't… Hear anything a-about Quirks being used. Was – Was Izuku… In real danger?"

"…It wasn't exactly clear if I'm honest." Sighed the Acid Quirk user. Truth be told, all she had gotten from that situation was that Izuku was very clearly not with that person, that Shigaraki, of his own free will. If the police had an idea of what his Quirk was, they hadn't told Mina, since she was apparently on some kind of need to know basis. "I don't know what that guy's Quirk was… But Izuku wasn't there willingly. I know that for certain… So… I got ready to use mine… I didn't get to use it though. I showed up way too late to be any use."

Despite what she'd done, Mina felt… Completely helpless in that situation. Everything had happened so quickly, that she'd barley had the time to recognize what was going on before it had escalated beyond the point of reason. It made sense for Izuku not to use his Quirk. He'd either break a bone, or destroy half of the ward, never mind just the shopping centre. So she'd done it…

But she'd been way, way too late. She'd spent the majority of the time that Izuku had spent brushing with death complaining to Uraraka about how long he was taking to bring drinks over. Izuku had the equivalent of a knife to his jugular, and she was just wondering where her Orange flavoured drink was. She couldn't feel more horrible about this fact. She had no way of knowing… But it still felt like she could have done something…. Just something while he was in that danger…

In the end, she hadn't really done anything, and that was what had her frustrated, upset, and depressed to an extent too. Maybe getting lectured over using her Quirk wouldn't have been so bad if she'd managed to burn one of Shigaraki's hands off and freed Izuku. At least then she'd know that she'd done right.

As it stood… She'd done next to nothing.

"…Thank you, Mina." Inko's teary voice suddenly cut through Mina's thoughts, blasting her out of whatever thoughts that she was having. Perhaps she'd seen the despair in Mina's black eyes, but still…

"'Thank you'?" She repeated, blankly staring at Izuku's mother like she'd just spouted some nonsensical nonsense at her, which she very well might have just done. It made no sense to thank her for having been able to do nothing in this situation. "I-I didn't do anything though!"

With a soft smile, Inko nodded, affirming that she both knew and understood the thoughts and feelings that Mina was having right now. That she was aware of how little Mina had actually done in that situation, but also that she didn't seem to resent that fact at all. Mina didn't get it. She didn't know what she was being thanked for at all. For being ready to fight? For not confirming anything? She had no idea…

"Thank you for being so concerned about Izuku. It's… Very reassuring to know that his girlfriend is… Such a kind and considerate person who thinks about him… And was willing to use her Quirk to protect him."

Mina just blinked, her jaw dropping very slightly, not sure if she should be blushing or not, and having a small debate inside herself if it would be appropriate to with Izuku still in questioning.

For the moment though, it appeared that Inko was able to keep her tear ducts under control, and let her worries about her son subside, for just a short while whilst she had a small talk with his girlfriend. "I'm sure you know… What Izuku can be like. I-I'm sure he gets a lot of his more… Apparent ticks from me… And from being… Quirkless for such a long time. Ever since his Quirk showed up he's been getting better but… I was happy…. And really scared about him when he brought you home."

Suddenly, Mina nodded, and closed her ajar jaw. She understood now.

"I… I thought that if his heart got broken, he might just… Shut down… But… It's so clear you aren't going to hurt him like that… You care about Izuku, don't you?.."

Of course Mina never planned on hurting Izuku. That was never going to happen, she was determined about that fact. Of everything that Mina was, of everything that she displayed and felt about the world and her boyfriend… Hurting him, the person that made her feel so happy every single day… She couldn't do that. Ever.

She just couldn't.

"Izuku… He makes me happy." Mina confessed, blushing lightly. "There isn't really anything else to it. I love him."

"Thank you for loving him so much." Inko smiled, still weak from her anxiety. "Izuku adores you. He barely talks about anything else other than Heroes, Quirks, and you. I know he has a hard time showing it… But he thinks the world of you. I've never seen him so happy…"

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Before Mina could give a response to Inko, a police officer that neither of them had spotted walking up towards them addressed the older woman. "If you'll follow me – your child has been released from his questioning. He's free to go."

* * *

What All Might was doing there, Mina had absolutely no idea. He seemed to show up whenever Izuku got involved in something, though since he was effectively the mentor of the green haired boy. Mina hadn't spoken to All Might personally a lot, which she had actually expected to since she had learned of his origins and the truth about his Quirk, but it just hadn't happened yet. She did have a few questions for him…

But they could wait.

As soon as she saw Izuku, she didn't hesitate, and ran straight over towards him, with absolutely no regard for anyone around, looking at the two of them, or whatever it was.

When he saw her, Izuku smiled lightly, and tried to reassure her with just an expression that he was alright. He didn't even manage to get a word in before Mina ran into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crashing her lips into her own, giving him the single biggest kiss that he'd ever received in his entire life. Unprepared for such a force of affection, Izuku's eyes shot wide open and for a moment, he had no balance whatsoever, totally thrown off by his girlfriend's sudden display of affections. All around him, his teacher, his mother, and a few of the officers had their own reactions to it happening, universally either amused or happy with the display.

After a few seconds though, Izuku decided that he didn't want to fight against the kiss in any way whatsoever, so he closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and returned her kiss. They didn't need to say anything between the two of them, their kiss explaining everything that they needed to know about one another's feelings in this entire escapade.

Once they separated, Mina looked at Izuku fondly and smiled, expressing a huge amount of relief that he was okay. "You have gotta be the most high-maintenance boyfriend on the planet, you know that right Izuku?"

* * *

Mina didn't go back to her family's house that night, instead at the request of Izuku, she stayed at his place, with him. He claimed that after the day that he'd had, he wanted to be around her, to be near her. Which she accepted, very happily and quite willing to do so.

He fell asleep very quickly after returning home. As soon as he'd set up a futon for Mina and changed into more comfortable clothes, he fell asleep virtually instantly, the second his head hit the pillow.

For a short while, Mina just sat up and watched him sleep. It wasn't even a slight wonder that he was so exhausted. After the day he'd had, it wasn't shocking in the least. Mina felt like she could pass out like she'd been hit in the back of the head with a rock herself, and Izuku had been the one in the thick of it, not her.

Danger always seemed to follow Izuku around unjustly. He never did anything that warranted this sort of amount of danger being thrown at him, but he seemed to attract it like metal to a magnet. His entire life was basically one long drama, and Mina knew that with his inherited powers, he wasn't going to be free from that drama for long. With Villain attacks becoming more frequent, and this All For One person that he mentioned still on the prowl, it wasn't possible that he'd always have moments like this.

Calm, quiet moments that just let him rest and recharge.

What was it that he thought of, she wondered. What was it that he dreamed about when he had these moments of clarity and calm to himself? When he wasn't trying his best to become a Hero, or taking notes on Heroes, or admitting Heroes in all their various aspects?...

…Probably about Heroes. He did have a one track mind, after all.

Without really thinking, Mina climbed into his bed, and laid next to him, without waking him up. He was out like a light, and it was going to take either an alarm clock, some serious shaking, or a grenade to make this exhausted boy wake up. He was cute when he slept though, and Mina felt absolutely no impulse to wake him up any time soon.

Before she decided to fall asleep, she turned around and reached for the desk next to Izuku's bed, groping around for his digital alarm clock. After a few moments of messing around with buttons, she managed to find a way to turn it off entirely. They could afford one day off, and Izuku wasn't going to be performing at his best anyway.

She'd get the information from Aizawa-sensei that they needed, or she'd get someone to text them what they missed.

It didn't matter whatsoever. Izuku needed his rest, or he was going to be dead to the world tomorrow.

Returning to her boyfriend, Mina wrapped her arms around him, gently holding him close as he slept. He didn't say the words 'I love you.' To her, the words she felt that she needed to hear… But she was willing to wait to hear them. Whenever he was ready.

In his dreamy head though, Izuku reflected on the day gone by… How much he valued these moments of peace before the chaos… And how much he loved the comfort Mina gave him… And how much… Just how much he wanted to keep those feelings.

And he didn't want to even come close to risking them. The doubts from his middle school days came flying back, reminding him of what happened when he expressed his dreams and desires…

In this case, it was his love… If he told Mina he loved her…

Would she go?

…After today… Izuku didn't want to risk it.


	22. How Far We go

**Going for something a bit different here... Basically it's gonna get a bit more intimate - Nothing too serious. . Just a fair warning in case you're uncomfortable with this sort of thing.**

* * *

When Izuku woke up the next day... It was probably one of the most hectic awakenings he'd had in a long time. The only other times he'd been in a similar rush or blind panic was when he was first starting to attend Yuuei and was completely paranoid about getting there on time before he adjusted to the schedule, and back in his many middle school days. The night Mina had accidentally fallen asleep while they were studying was calmer compared to this one. And a significant portion less painful.

He went through a couple of brief moments of waking up, followed by the most basic lucidity falling back to sleep again for another hour or so before the next moment he woke up. The very first time he awoke to was a pale pink colour. There wasn't even a second of confusion at that point. It was pink, so it was Mina, without even a shadow of a doubt. Literally nothing else in his room was even remotely that shade of light red. While that alone was enough to tell him that Mina had crawled into his bed while he was asleep... He found himself far too tired to even care. At this point, he embraced it, letting himself hold onto her closer, and resting his head on her skin. Confident that he hadn't woken her up, he allowed the soft warmth of her skin to pour over him. He quickly fell asleep again, with a weak, shaky, but bright smile on his face. Mina made a good pillow.

He would have honestly liked to have fallen asleep like this the previous night, close to Mina and holding her close. Mina always felt warm and soft, her skin almost like a calming drug, or like one that felt like the physical manifestation of adrenaline whenever Izuku felt it against his own. It usually depended on the feel, the mood they were both in. If Mina wanted to embarrass him, even the smallest amount of physical contact would send him into crimson fits, but when they were being kinder to one another, and their affection towards one another was clear, it felt like something he could hold onto forever. After yesterday... In his utterly shattered state, and how softly she treated him, there wasn't any doubt in Izuku's head as to her affections.

Were it not for his own shyness, he would have asked her if she would be willing to cuddle with him for the night, but the mere idea of asking that set his heart racing.

So this... This felt nice. That was how he felt as he drifted back to sleep.

The second time he woke up, he'd almost entirely forgotten everything that he'd learned in his previous lapse of lucidity until he noticed the pink skin of Mina again, and he quickly remembered. This time, he had a bit more of a typical reaction, going red in the face, but he stopped himself from making any sort of noises, as he didn't want to wake up his presumably still sleeping girlfriend. He quickly calmed himself and forced his heartbeat to calm. As he recalled everything from his last few moments of being awake, he quickly returned to that dreamy state, resting himself against her.

After a short while though, it became of note to him that his hand had trailed up and was now resting palm down on her skin, like it normally did when he slept. He blushed, wondering how long his hand had been against her like that, and if Mina had noticed at all. Knowing her, if he was awake and she had noticed, she'd be teasing him about it hours later, before flirting that she didn't mind.

It took Izuku a second to notice, but as he traced his gaze down his arm, he noticed that there was a cut-off point, where Mina's skin ended and clothing started again...

He blinked. Hard. Where exactly was he?

Only then did he actually realise - He was resting with his front facing towards the pull of gravity... And he didn't remember calling asleep face-down.

As he rapidly became slightly uncomfortable as to where he was resting his head in, praying to whatever hypothetical Gods did exist that what was happening wasn't actually happening, his hands, along with the rest of his body, became rigid out of sheer habit. As nervousness struck, his body became tense, which was exactly what was happening right now.

"Ah!"

Izuku's eyes shot wide open, and he found himself totally terrified of looking up right now, or tearing himself away from Mina's skin. At the same time, it was like he was being magnetically repelled from her, and he couldn't stop himself from doing so, the same terror forcing him away from her.

When he looking up at Mina, she seemed to be slightly uneasy herself, but had recovered very quickly. If anything, she had been caught off guard by what had just happened, but not upset at all. Her smile looked a lot shakier than it normally did, and her cheeks were a lilac shade, a colour Izuku hadn't seen in her face for quite a while.

Taking a quarter of a second to realise why she was just a blushing wreck as he was at this moment, Izuku just stared back at her, his body simply refusing to react to what he'd just figured out.

Evidentially, at some point in the night, Izuku had rolled over onto his front...

And had wound up resting his head on Mina's chest.

Given the height difference between the two of them, this did imply that Mina had gone to sleep while holding Izuku closer towards her chest than her head, almost like she was holding a newborn baby, protecting him from the rest of the planet. Be that as it may though...

His entire body tensed up again, this time before he even realised that it was doing so good... And this included his hand, which was still located on the left side of her chest, his body far too paranoid from about ten seconds ago to do even dare move. Now an action that he was seriously regretting at this point.

As he did so, Mina went a darker shade of lilac, though she did manage to put on both a flirty voice and a shaky smile. "M-Man, you're frisky, huh Izuku?"

This time, Izuku really did One For All straight out of his bed. On pure instinct, he activated his Quirk and tried to make as much distance between Mina, her body and himself as physically possible. In doing so, he pushed himself away from her, neglecting to use the hand that was currently groping her, not wanting to hurt her in doing so, which meant that all he had to push himself away was his left hand, his non-dominant hand. This resulted in his push being lopsided, leaning towards the right by a dramatic margin.

Launching him right into the wall with a serious amount of force. Not enough to break the wall down, or even crack it, but it was certainly enough to make the impact audible, and plenty strong enough to make Izuku feel it. "Gaakk!" Followed by him bouncing off the solid surface, and back into the floor thanks to the assistance of gravity. He narrowly missed hitting the futon Mina was supposed to have been sleeping in, like it was some sort of insult directly by the laws of the universe. "Ooof!... Oww..."

Looking at the immeasurably awkward boy now sprawled out on the floor, unsure if she was going to burst out into laughter, or if she needed to leap up to check that he wasn't suffering a serious concussion.

She wound up doing both.

"Pfft!" She tried, she really did try, to hold back her laughter from spilling out, but she couldn't help herself in the end. Endless amusement was always found in Izuku acting like an overly awkward dope. She loved the boy, she did, but he was seriously hilarious when he was this embarrassed and awkward. "A-Are you okay?" She asked, sliding out of the bed and kneeling next to him, trying to stop her chuckles as much as she could, feeling a bit bad that she found his pain amusing.

Managing to crawl onto his knees while pressing a hand against the exact spot of impact, Izuku found himself face to face with Mina, who had her beautiful smile still etched onto her lips. At this point, he was certain that she was just smiling by default, that if she wasn't smiling, then there was something else that had acquired her direct attention.

Although right now, as pretty as her smile was, and no matter how much he could gladly just watch her smile for hours in end.. It was doing him absolutely no favours.

"M-Mina, I-I-I am so s-sorry!" He blurted out, bowing his head to not look her in the face... Though all this did was make him able to see her well-toned legs, and his mind was totally in the gutter at this point. He threw his gaze over to the left, so he couldn't see an inch of pink. "That was a-a c-complete accident! I-I didn't mean t-to do a-any of that! I must've rolled over in my s-sleep and wound up l-like that! I-I wouldn't even think about d-doing something like that! I-I-I don't mean that I-I don't think you're not a-attractive or a-anything! I-I do, but - No I what I mean to s-say is that -"

"Dude, chill." Mina simply said, though she was quickly starting to wonder if her teasing was starting to affect her boyfriend's mental abilities at this point. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Two things, one, I'm the one who put you like that."

"H-Huh?!"

"Yeah, you looked like you were really having a bad dream about an hour after you knocked out. Didn't know what was wrong, but I didn't wanna wake you, so I just moved you onto my chest, and you calmed right down. Thought you might sleep better if you were someplace warm."

"P-Please don't phrase it like that!" Izuku went dark red at the mention of

"Huh? You keep saying that you think my skin's warm and soft."

"I-I never said that!"

"Well you do a bad job at hiding that you think that then" Mina then smirked. "Also, I did actually mean what you thought too. Though now I know you do think my skins warm." She giggled at Izuku's dumbfounded response. Frankly, he couldn't even tell if Mina did truly know why her phrasing had made him flustered or not, but it was clear he already knew that Mina was going to use this newfound information to her advantage when it came to teasing him. Deciding that, for his sanity, she needed to explain further she moved his head onto her chest, she added on, "Really, it just made it easier to keep an eye on you. You're a really cute sleeper... And I thought it might be funny to see what would happen when you woke up. So far it's like the best comedy sketch in the world."

Red like his blood was, Izuku dared ask a question that was nagging at his head like crazy. "A-A-And my h-hand?..."

"Nah, that was all you." Grinned the pink skinned girl. In spite of her initial blush, which had mostly faded, though tints of lilac remained, Mina seemed relaxed about the whole affair. She had brushed off the incident, writing it off without much fanfare to be made. She almost seemed flattered in a certain sense.

"I-I'm so sorry -"

"Again, stop with the sorrying."

"S-sor-" An amused grin from Mina reminded Izuku of what he had been told literally five seconds ago. He caught his words before they exited his mouth, before he wound up entering an endless loophole of apologising for apologising. "R-Right..."

Every inclination that he'd ever seen from anything ever dictated that if someone did what he'd just done, accidentally or not to a girl's chest, they were in for either a punch to the face, kick to the face, or they'd be subjected to heavy barrage from the girls Quirk... In the face. His limited knowledge on what it meant to have a girlfriend and to be a boyfriend did still leave gaps in his ability to understand exactly...

What the hell they were supposed to do now. If anything at all.

"And point two... It's not like I didn't, y'know, like it."

At that point, Izuku's blush nearly totally eradicated itself, leaving his face slightly pale in comparison. He finally dared another look towards his girlfriend, who was still highlighted in her darker pigments around her face. It was one of the rare times where she was blushing just as much as he was. Far more relaxed and open about this kind of thing, it was honestly surprising to see her like this, Izuku just couldn't stop thinking.

There was a part of him that found Mina blushing to be one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. Shyness wasn't a personality trait that Mina particularly had, being far more open and blunt about things. Bar their first date, and their confession towards one another at the end, seeing her like this was rare, and it normally made his heart skip multiple beats.

Though right now, he was right back to being dark crimson, because that same lilac blush meant that she was being a hundred percent genuine.

"Wha-Wha-What t-the?..." His blush burnt his face with how hot it was, almost threatening to leave him what something that resembled sunburn.

"Well, we are dating, aren't we?" Mina asked, though still blushing, she managed to find her words and enunciate them far clearer than Izuku. "I mean... I am your girlfriend. So... I don't really mind if you do that. If you want to..." Her blush increased. "I-it was kind of... Nice."

Steam could virtually be seen rising from Izuku's scolding body, his brain on the verge of an overload. This wasn't even remotely close to what he'd been expecting from this insane scenario, not to mention first thing in the morning.

Were they skipping a few steps in doing this?

Of course the green haired boy knew that being in a relationship meant that, eventually, they would become more intimate. He wasn't oblivious to the secrets of life, and the additional changes people underwent around this point in their lives. That being said, he and Mina had only been dating for a short few months! Was this going too fast, or were they just slow?

In brutal honesty, his awkward, timid and shy personality was having a huge sway in his thinking here. While he was totally aware that being in a relationship meant that they'd do that kind of thing eventually, his extreme reluctance in doing so was mostly due to his shyness and the likes. That was really all there was to it.

"Are you embarrassed? Or do you just not like the idea of it?" Mina spoke with genuine curiosity, without offence or upset. She actually wanted to know.

"E-Embarrassed." Izuku rapidly admitted. He'd openly admit that in this situation, especially since he didn't want Mina to think for even a second that he didn't like the idea of it. Because deep down, he did.

Mina was a very attractive girl, and she was the kindest person he'd ever met. That was really all he needed to know about her. That she was nice. That she was genuine. That she did actually love him. They were things that he had absolutely no doubt about whatsoever. Her looks were subjective, but good God, they were there... Even before Izuku had fallen in love with her, she had been notably cute... Again, they were subjective, but they to that same desire to be close to her all the more.

"So you _do_ like the idea of it?"

Damn it.

"I-I-I..." Before he could dig his own grave any deeper, Izuku decided it wisest to shut himself up. He was unable to look at her again, his total awkwardness grabbing hold of every inch of his being, preventing him from even having the capability to look his girlfriend in the eye.

As much as Mina found this awkwardness to amusing and endearing as per norm... Part of her felt more daring, more willing to go down this path, mainly to see what sort of reaction she'd get from Izuku. Curious herself to see what he'd do... And what encouraging him could lead towards. With everything that had happened the previous day... If nothing else, if he was focused on being cripplingly flustered, he wasn't thinking about the run-in with the league.

The last thing he needed to do right now was be thinking about the league. And the worst case scenario was him becoming Sir Blush-lord McFlounder. So this couldn't go too badly.

Besides, she loved Izuku with everything she had. So she didn't mind any of this.

With her right hand, she reached over and gently held onto Izuku's right hand, with as tender a touch as she could manage, and shuffled closer to him, though he couldn't tell since he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"Izuku." Mina gently spoke, practically whispering his name, yet was loud enough to be heard clearly by the young boy. Lowering her head and leaning in to try to get at least into his line of sight slightly, he showed off a soft smile that she knew Izuku liked. "Look at me?"

Though hesitant, Izuku did so, and was greeted by the softest and sweetest kiss to the lips he'd felt in a long time, it was one where he could tell there wasn't some kind of trick she had planned designed to make him blush, or because she was trying to convince him of something. Her lips were gentle when they met with his own, and tasted just as sweet. This kiss was one filled with nothing but a genuine love. It was something about how she kissed him when she did it like this, but Izuku would happily kiss her like this all day if the option was available.

Quite easily, he returned the kiss, feeling his eyelids grow heavy as he did so. Kissing Mina was like a drug that made keeping his eyes open a difficult and arduous task, one which he gave up on altogether when he began to return her kisses. He loved these kisses... He loved Mina...

He loved her so, so much.

The next few seconds on the other hand totally changed the feel of the room, and left Izuku in an absolute blushing mess for hours to come. With one quick pull at his hand, Mina pulled his palm over towards her body.

Resting it on her right breast, kept there by her hand atop it.

Out of pure instinct, Izuku's eyes shot wide open again and he attempted to pull away from Mina due to surprise and unease, but found himself unable to get far from her, almost like she was magnetic. Her lips remains locked onto his gently and softly, following him when he tried to pull away from her, and keeping his hand exactly where it was.

His heart was going at two thousand beats a minute. As it turned out, and contrary to what Izuku had been expecting, or rather, hoped in this specific scenario, Mina didn't wear any sort of sleeping bar - Again, Izuku didn't know exactly what he was expecting. He still barely knew a damn thing about girls in these respects - Meaning that he could essentially feel her breast as though it were bare. He probably could have before, but he hadn't been as aware of it then. With his eyes open, Izuku was able to look back at the very slightly open eyes of his girlfriend, and in return was greeted by a pair of beautiful yellow irises that conveyed virtually every emotion Mina had in her right now.

Love. Longing. Joy and enjoyment. Desire...

...Fear? Concern? Anxiety and insecurity?...

Hope...

Izuku really had no clue that it was possible to be so internally torn. One part of him was screaming to break away and apologise by smashing his head into the ground, even though he was aware that this wasn't exactly something that he had control over. He almost felt like he was being tested to an extent, that this was some kind of elaborate scheme that she had planned to see if Izuku was some kind of creep.

But... Her lips were warm, and they felt nice against his. They tasted sweet, like sugar, and he didn't ever like separating from them. On top of that...

Though every single of Izuku's instincts was telling him to pull away, and he knew for a fact he was going to berate himself for even thinking this later on... Her breast was soft, and warm. Like a pillow. It felt... Nice, and he sort of didn't want to move his hand away at all.

So... Was he a creep?

He didn't know... What he did know was that he loved Mina dearly, and he didn't want to stop kissing her... Or move his hand from where she had placed it. He might regret doing so in the future... But this was the very same person who had taught him that he needed to live for the present as well as the future.

Already he knew he'd struggle to look at her after this, he kissed her back again, allowing himself to have this moment.

A second later, Mina made an admittedly clumsy attempt to open it up into French kissing, virtually giving the already nervous boy a panic attack.

Shock was the appropriate word, not dislike or disapproval. Her sudden attempt had caught him off guard, and for a moment, he forgot how breathe. When this happened, he did what he always did in this situation, regardless of if he wanted to or not.

His body tensed, and this time, it wasn't as gentle or measured. This included his hands.

Whenever they kissed, Mina admittedly did hum with enjoyment.. But this time, it was particularly loud. Frankly, it wasn't a hum anymore.

And when Izuku figured this out, he returned right back to reality and bluntly took in what was happening - Mina was attempting to slide her tongue into his mouth, and he was basically groping her.

His brain fried, as did his cheeks. He tore himself away, hand and lips, and looked at Mina with a growing sense of dread, awaiting the reaction that she was going to give. He was expecting half of his body to get dissolved in acid at this point.

Aside from a look of surprise herself, and perhaps disappointment, she was fine. She was blushing a huge amount herself, her entire face virtually lilac, a rare sight indeed, and she was equal amounts breathless, needing a few seconds to reclaim oxygen. When she finally spoke, it was uncharacteristically shaky. "A-Are you alright, Izuku?"

"I-I-I'll m-make us s-some b-b-breakfast!" He announced by practically yelling, before bolting out his room with such force he nearly tore off the door, without the help of One For All.

Leaving Mina sat on her own, blinking for a seconds or two, and re-going over what the heck they'd just done. Had they just basically made out? Was that was that was? She was genuinely curious, because she had no legitimate idea.

Though she did manage to smirk to herself, and rested her hand on top of her chest. "So that's the limit he's willing to go to, huh..."

* * *

Izuku swiftly realised that Mina had changed his alarm clock so that he'd wind up sleeping in. It was already eleven, and there was no way in hell that he was going to be able to make it to Yuuei in time for even the final lesson. Truth be told, after the morning he'd just had, he wasn't even upset about it.

He'd be unable to focus anyway.

The entire time he made breakfast, he was hyper-sensitive as to where Mina was at all times. His mother had left for work long ago, and had prepared something for the two of them before she'd left. Had she been in on this little scheme of Mina's? Nothing could surprise Izuku at this point when it came to his girlfriend.

All he had to do was prepare and serve the food. A simple task... Were his head not permanently stuck in the ditches, making him lack concentration on the most basic of tasks. He was more focused on keeping a respectable distance from Mina than he was on not scolding himself with boiling water.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the taste of Mina's lips or tongue - A word he was blushing at having to use - From his mind. And the phantom feeling of Mina's chest from his hand. Every single time he so much as made a twitch with his finger, he froze for a quarter of a second, thinking that this would have some effect on Mina, even though he wasn't anywhere near her.

He kept his distance because he wasn't sure on what they were even supposed to do at this point. Were they supposed to have some sort of talk about it, or just keep on acting like nothing had happened? Was there even a procedure?

Was there a procedure on what you're supposed to do after basically making out with your girlfriend. Admittedly, that sounded extremely stupid to Izuku.

Still, it changed nothing about the fact that he was totally unsure on what he was supposed to say or do anymore. He did feel that perhaps Mina was rushing towards things, a lot sooner than he was personally comfortable with. That wasn't to say he didn't like it...

…Every single thing he was thinking was contradictory wasn't it?

...Why were relationships so complicated and confusing? The worldwide phenomenon of Quirks, random superpowers that activated from person to person with absolutely no rhyme or reason to them, which occurred randomly one day with absolutely no explanation, and still no explanation generations later, was far easier to understand than being in a relationship.

They were almost the same thing. Quirks appeared out of nowhere, just like Mina had, and his feelings for her had. It was harder to understand why he'd fallen in love with her of all people, but it had happened. And to further that particular point further, he couldn't point at a specific moment when he fell in love with her. When he knew he had fallen in love with her, sure, he could do that, but he couldn't tell when he had actually fallen for her along the way. And he still couldn't explain why.

But Quirks were easier to understand.

"You alright, Izuku?" Mina's voice was still soft and sweet as it always was, but to Izuku, it felt like fire.

"Y-Yeah! I-I'm okay!" He said, punching the timer on the microwave after checking that it needed to heat the food another thirty seconds before it was ready to go.

The two of them ate their food in total silence, the only sounds being those of them using their cutlery, and of them chewing. To put it into two words, it was immeasurably awkward, for both of them, neither sure on what to say. Izuku knew exactly why he was keeping his mouth shut - It was so he didn't accidentally blurt something stupid and ridiculous... Though Mina...

Normally able to talk right through these awkward moments with such persistence and frequency that an aspect of her personality could almost be called tactless, but that was one of the things Izuku did love about her. Her uncanny ability to turn any uncomfortable situation and make it feel warm and comfortable, like it was never even a problem.

If she was silent...

Had he upset her? Izuku chewed slower than before, and looked over to Mina, whom was just placing some of the food into her mouth. Was she upset with him? Had she taken him pulling away from her and darting off like that offended or depressed her in some way? That had never been the intention, just cause and effect. Either way, that made him the direct cause of why she was so ominously silent right now.

"M-Mina…" He whispered, almost hoping that she didn't hear him. When she did, he bit the bullet and force out a question. "Are you… Upset with me?"

"Hmm? Nah, not really." Assured the pink girl, though she did look pretty uncomfortable. "Just… Sorry, I guess."

"S-Sorry?"

"For kind of… Y'know, forcing myself on you?... Forcing you on me?... Whatever the hell you'd call what we just did." She blinked a few times towards the left, before shifting her eyes to look at Izuku. "I uh… I dunno. Guess I wanted to see how far you'd be comfortable going with me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean… Well, we are dating, right? I mean, the last few months haven't just been some fever dream I had from an infection I got 'cause Mika still doesn't know how to tidy up her God damn Lego, right?"

Suddenly unable to stop himself from letting out a small laugh, Izuku smiled at Mina, who was returning that same smile back at him. It was obvious she was trying to lighten the mood between them, and she succeeded very well in doing so. "Yeah, we are."

"Right, and you're supposed to eventually do stuff like that with someone you're dating, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well… I guess I did sort of just… Go ahead with that without even checking if you wanted to. And you seemed sort of uncomfortable after, and you're being way more awkward than usual now… Because of what we did, I'm guessing." Mina could already feel her cheeks burning up a little bit t the reminder. Usual energy and her hyper personality weren't going to serve as a good enough excuse for this, and her impulsive ways had finally caught up to her, making her feel embarrassed about herself. "So… Sorry, about that."

It was so very easy for Izuku to feel empathy for Mina, for reasons beyond his affection for her. He was able to understand how she felt right now, and how she must feel about herself. It was part of their lives, after all. Growing up how he did, Izuku was used to making himself feel like an idiot. He did it virtually every single day of his life back then, making himself utterly incapable of holding a grudge towards anyone who did the same. He didn't hold a thing against Mina for what she'd done.

He had liked it… but he just wasn't sure if he was ready to go down that path.

"Y-You don't need to apologise, Mina." He said quickly, reaching his hand over to her and smiling at her. "I-I didn't mind it… I-It… Was k-kind of n-nice… But… I-I don't think we should be doing that sort of thing yet. I-I mean we're both way too young… A-And we've still got Yuuei classes to think about if we wanna become Heroes."

"You're right, I know…" Mina returned her smile to him with the same warmth his did. "Just don't keep me waiting too long for that, yeah? It's not like we have to be careful about every little thing."

"O-Okay…" Izuku blushed lightly, before he took his hand from hers. "So, we're good, okay? Don't worry about it anymore."

"Say's the guy who's spent the last ten minutes keeping his distance like I've got him at sword point."

"W-Who's fault was that?!"

"The guy who didn't resist at all."

While the two had a small back and forth banter, Izuku and Mina both couldn't help but think that eventually, in some way, things were going to work out for them. Though they hadn't been dating for very long at all, they still had a lot to look forward to, and plenty of time to explore those feelings.

And they still had the rest of the day to figure out something they could do before they had to face the music for essentially bailing out on classes.

* * *

 **I completely blame my girlfriend for this - This is mostly done because of her. Not by her request, but because I know for absolute certainty she'd do this. I wanted to try doing something a little different, to see how it played out. This isn't gonna become a regular thing, but hopefully this appeases those of you who wanted something like this.**

 **At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this... Somehow. We'll be right back to fluffiness next week, so I'll see you then! See ya!**


	23. Short Time Off

**Before we start, I want to apologize about the length of this chapter, and its relative pointlessness. This was originally planned to be longer, but I've been to see a doctor and I got some… Unfavourable news, let's say. It's very personal and I'd like to not go into details, but as a result, I've been incredibly stressed and lost a lot of motivation to write. I still am writing, and I won't stop, since it's one of my only escapes from this whole situation, but I do hope you guys understand why this has been such a pain for me. I really am sorry, but I can't do anything about it while I'm in this mental state. But I did want to give you guys your weekly MinaDeku so... Here this is.**

 **I will try to be back to normal next chapter, but I can't promise anything. I hope that you understand, and still enjoy what little I can give you.**

* * *

Izuku hadn't even thought about his encounter with the Villain Shigaraki throughout the entirety of Mina's stay, and Mina could only classify that a a one hundred percent positive result. Her goal had always been to prevent him from thinking about them, from him having to relive the horrific encounter that he'd had the previous day. After dealing with so much crap every single day of his damn life that he deserved a break from it.

She'd suffer the consequences for it. She didn't care anymore. It was hard to care about some stupid rule or punishment that could be doled out toward her by the school when she and her boyfriend had literally been staring death in the face less than twenty four hours ago. She'd probably end up with detention, scolding's, and it was probably going to mean that out of everyone who went on the school trip, she was going to be the one who suffered the most... But still.

Aizawa-sensei could bite her for all she cared. Izuku was more important.

She shook her head, remembering that she couldn't be thinking about the results of skipping a day, and sabotaging it so Izuku would also miss one too. She'd take the blame for that too, but she'd deal with it when it came.

Right now, she was supposed to be admiring the thousands of fish and aquatic creature's right in front of her. Somehow, they had wound up in an aquarium after wandering around the city for a while, looking for something fun to do at Mina's insistence, practically dragging Izuku along the ground in order to get him to follow. The green haired boy said he would have rather just stayed home and studied to make up for lost time, and the hell she was gonna let that happen. If they had, or technically stole, some time off, then Izuku needed it to unwind for once in his life. To forget about becoming a Hero for just a few hours. To just kick back and enjoy himself for a bit. Otherwise, he was going to end up working himself into the ground.

When they'd found themselves on the same street as a fairly large housing of aquatic creatures, which boasted having a huge variety of them, it was pretty much agreed between the two before any words had even been spoken.

It had been years since Mina had actually gone to one of these places, or anything even remotely like them. She always loved them when she was younger, freaking out over the hundreds of creatures on display. It wasn't so much that she had a particular fondness for animals beyond thinking that some were cute, awesome, and weird or anything else. It was always such an exciting thing for her to go and do. In her younger days though, when she was still getting used to her Quirk, sometimes she lost control due to that same exhilaration, and caused some property damage that her parents had to pay for, that they were never pleased about.

She maintained that it wasn't as bad as the time Micha melted the family car down into sludge, though.

"Hey Mina, you need to check this one out!"

Again, this wasn't a day trip with her family. It was a date with her boyfriend while they really should be doing multiplication by fractions in class right now. If they had kept to the established timetable of Yuuei High, math should be occurring right now, and complex arithmetic would await them for the next hour and a half.

She couldn't not regret her decision more right now.

As it turned out, Izuku did also seem to enjoy watching creatures from the ocean swim about in the water, going about their regular routines as their instincts informed them to do so. Something about the ocean and its creatures captured the imagination of people on the surface, air breathing world. Something about them just caught the joy and wonder from the two young teenagers.

Their mystery, their perfectly evolved adaptations...

...Their shark... Which had fire in place of teeth... Mina had to blink a few times when she saw that. Submerged completely in water, there was a shark, according to the sign, specifically a Lemon shark, that in place of having rows of teeth, had fiery fangs that still burned brightly, even while totally covered in water.

A rare case of an animal that had developed a Quirk.

"Oh wow." Mina simply said, not sure what else she could say to describe this truly rare sight indeed. It almost felt alien to see a creature that possessed a Quirk like this. Whatever Nedzu was, he certainly wasn't a Human being, but his Quirk made him act more refined and intelligent than anyone, so Mina had grown used to treating him like he were just a regular person. Not all animals that had Quirks gained intelligence though, so aside from its flaming teeth, it was just a regular Lemon Shark.

"Says here that its Quirk is called Flaming Fangs." Izuku read from the sign next to the tank, that gave all the information it could about the species, and this specimen in particular. He seemed utterly fixated on this particular creature especially. His obsession with Quirks and Heroes was well documented, and seeing an animal that didn't have an Intelligence Enhancement type Quirk was an experience he had never been privileged enough to see before. In their world it was the equivalent to seeing people with Quirks from the first generation of users. It was an amazingly rare opportunity.

"Wow, someone must've spent a while coming up with that one." The pink girl responded with light hearted sarcasm with and a grin on her face, wilfully ignorant to the fact her own Quirk must have taken even less time to name. After taking a few more seconds to register what it was in front of her, she took a few steps towards the glass, pressing her hands against it while she peered into the water, like the reaction that she should have had had come delayed. "This is awesome! Look at it, this is so cool!"

And it was enrapturing a sight to see. Animals with Quirks were so rare, far rarer than it was to be Quirkless in this day and age. Seeing a creature that had one, that wasn't Nedzu, was an exciting and amazing thing. Sometimes Mina wondered what the world would be like if all the animals had Quirks, like Humans did. Heroes would probably have to be on the clock at all points. It would just be non-stop chaos permanently, at all points. After all, not all animals had the ability to be rational, feel emotion or act on them. A lizard wouldn't really be driven by anything, just instinct. What would happen if a creature like that got a Gigantification Type Quirk?

While it was just an idea that sounded like something that would be in one of the comic books Izuku read, the same could be said about a Superhuman society, and look at the world now. Perhaps that was the society they had to look forward to. Quirks started out as just a very small, very limited number of cases in humans that eventually grew and grew. Maybe the same would happen to animals. Not in their lifetime, most likely though.

Either way, Mina looked over to her boyfriend who was already taking notes with a pad of paper and a pencil that she swore he kept strapped to his body at this point. Even when he was supposed to be relaxing, he found a way to make notes on the Quirks that surrounded him to help him plan for becoming a Hero. His every hobby seemed to loop back round to his desire to use his newfound powers to help people, though Mina couldn't for the life of her think of a situation in which Izuku would have to square off against a literal shark. He was just doing it out of habit. A true one track mind.

But that was okay. He wasn't wasting the time they'd taken off studying when he needed to unwind, and he wasn't stressed. He was enjoying himself, and he wasn't thinking about the League of Villains. That was all she wanted in the first place.

So she waited until he had finally stopped taking various notes and drawing out the sketch that he had of the shark in front of him, and slid his notebook and pencil back into his pocket. When he was finished, Mina reached out and wrapped her hand around his, and inter-winded their fingers in one swift motion. Given what they had done just a few hours ago, this action caused Mina to blush a bit as well, but only a tiny bit. Izuku also went red, but it was far tamer than it normally was. Like he'd finally adapted to Mina and her various ticks. He quickly increased his hold onto Mina's hand in turn.

As always, she was warm.

* * *

"It wouldn't have been entirely rational for you to be attending classes at all if you weren't going to be able to pay any attention anyway." Aizawa noted, glancing between the young couple of students that had just decided not to show up yesterday without as much as a warning, or even an excuse between them.

Mina had taken full responsibility for everything, being straightforward and completely honest that she was the one who had decided to sabotage Izuku's getting to the school, and that she had convinced him not to bother going in for what remained.

It certainly hadn't been the opening gambit that Mina had been expecting to hear from their homeroom teacher. She'd been convinced that he'd erase their Quirks and tie them from the walls that surrounded Yuuei to show what happened to students who couldn't handle time-management. Instead, he'd actually seemed sort of relaxed about it, almost like he'd figured out that Izuku was going to be taking the previous day off to recharge and re-mentally adjust himself.

At least, he seemed relaxed with Izuku.

"Though next time something like this happens, make certain you call the absence line." Sighed the Erasure Quirk holder, before handing a small number of papers towards Izuku. "These cover everything that we went over while you were away. Go over them in detail, it's information that you're going to need."

"Y-Yes sir." Izuku nodded in understanding. Considering what he and Mina had done, this was basically a slap on the wrist.

"As for you Ashido... There's no point to punishing you while we're still at the school, so I hope you're prepared to work twice as hard as everyone else in remedial is." There it was. Mina had been expecting that. "Midoriya had a reason for not coming into classes, even without your little stunt. You don't have the same excuse he does. I'm aware you meant well, but this isn't the sort of thing we can overlook. If you expect to become a Hero, you can't just take days off whenever you feel like it."

Mina already had been prepared to have some sort of bombshell like that thrown her way, that she'd have to do extra lessons for extra lessons for her total admission of guilt. But again, Mina didn't care. There hadn't been any way to hide that she'd wind up being responsible - Two people who were dating both taking the day off after a major incident, one of them a straight A's student and the other one a more carefree social creature? It wasn't difficult to link - So lying would have achieved absolutely nothing. Taking the brunt of the blame, of course it meant that she'd be the one receiving the brunt punishment too. Izuku hadn't been aware of Mina's plan to do this until it had actually happened. And by that point, it had been way too late. He'd tried protesting it, but it was pretty clear that Aizawa knew that Mina was the one telling the truth.

"Return to your seat, Ashido." Aizawa waved her off lazily, before he stood up, hands shoved into his pockets and his back hunched as always, either out of sheer laziness or because he didn't care. He blinked a couple of times, before his eyes fell back onto Izuku. "Midoriya, I want to have a word with you regarding something. Follow me."


	24. Izuku and Mina's Hero Team

"Midoriya, are you and Ashido dating?"

It sounded like something a gossip would drag someone away to ask away from everyone else so as not to start rumours unfoundedly. A gossip with that sort of integrity was a rarity in itself, and Izuku certainly knew just how impossible it was to find someone who cared about if their stories were true or not. He'd run into plenty during his Middle School days. Disregarding every single aspect of that though, it certainly hadn't even come close to what Izuku had been expecting to hear out of Aizawa-sensei when he'd lead him outside the classroom. The Erasure Quirk user couldn't be even further from that sort of person if he even tried to be. He could only be less like that if he never spoke at all.

For a short while, Izuku just stood there, gawking at his homeroom teacher with absolutely no clue what he was supposed to even do or say here. There wasn't much that he could think about, let alone say in this situation. Part of him questioned the legality of what was going on here. Were teachers even allowed to ask questions regarding pupil's personal lives like this?

In fact scratch that. If it was illegal, Aizawa would probably still ask anyway if he felt it important to ask. The real question here was, why on earth would Aizawa even care?

Not caring about societal appearances was one thing that everyone knew that Aizawa couldn't care less about. In his own words, he couldn't give the slightest damn about what it was that other people thought of him, because caring about how the rest of the world was going to look at you was totally illogical, and could even affect your duties as a Hero. And while he was correct there, popularity was also something Heroes had to keep in consideration, not that that was important right now. Either way, him coming up and questioning Izuku's love life was...

Really starting to creep the young boy out.

A lot.

"U-uh..." He stammered nervously, looking up at his taller conversation partner and feeling slightly intimidated. Aizawa just looked back at him, his face expressing neutrality as it always did, though his mouth was covered by the fibre-alloy weapon which he always kept handy, and by just covering up that small part of his face, made him that bit more tricky to read than he normally was. It made Izuku flinch that extra bit when he blinked.

"Are you going to answer? We don't have all day." He asked flatly, staring daggers straight into his student. It wasn't like he was aiming to intimidate, or even coerce an answer from Izuku, but rather, he felt it important to get an accurate answer as quickly as possible.

After all, if they were dating, and if they were serious about one another, then they had some choices they needed to make. Truth be told, Aizawa thought very little of his pupils dating one another, as he saw it as no personal business of his, and outside of being their homeroom teacher, he had little reason to care. But as their homeroom teacher, he had to make sure to help them down the right path, and especially with regards to dating Heroes, there were discussions that needed to be had.

For a second, the holder of One For All was seriously considered lying to Aizawa right then and there. The temptation was rapidly making itself known to the timid green haired boy, and the temptation was certainly strong. This entire atmosphere felt crushing, like an interrogation, and frankly, he wasn't sure he even wanted Aizawa to know his personal relationships... But common sense won him over. Mina wasn't one for subtlety, even under the best of circumstances. She was far too open about her love and was much too publicly affectionate for any lie Izuku made to even be slightly believable. He'd be caught out within five minutes of lessons being over. And besides... His homeroom teacher wouldn't have bothered calling him out of the room to interrogate him like this if he wasn't already a hundred percent certain about their relationship. There had to be some kind of reason behind why he was even bothering to ask, hadn't there?

So, fighting back the impulse to hide his relationship from his teacher, Izuku opted to, very hesitantly and shakily, nod his head. He barely trusted himself to say much, so he just added a very small, "Y-Yes sir."

Aizawa looked at Izuku blankly for a few moments, before he took one of his hands from his pockets and scratched at his hair lightly, letting out another sigh as he did so. Almost one of disappointment, but it wasn't quite there yet. A certain level of surprise would have been expected, but Aizawa didn't even seem to be slightly taken aback by this news, rather he was resigned to it.

"I just wanted to confirm that this was the case for myself." The older man said, explaining why he had even bothered asking to the clearly uncomfortable boy. His eyes narrowed suddenly, meeting directly with Izuku's. "And you're sure that's the best course of action?"

"What..." Izuku struggled to find his voice after that sentence, not sure if he liked the implications as to where this was going. He swallowed the lump that was lodged in his throat down painfully, and cleared his windpipe. "What do you mean?"

"Is having your partner on the field with you a good idea?" The Pro looked at Izuku with a stare that so many people would struggle to understand the meaning behind. "Say you have a Villain or a criminal with two guns, one aimed at a civilian, and one aimed at Ashido. You can only save one before the criminal pulls the trigger of both weapons. Which one do you save?"

It was such a simple question... But it made Izuku's blood run cold, like ice right then and there, visibly making him shiver. He should have thought about that sort of scenario... But he hadn't.

Because... He'd chosen not to, because the idea was just way too disturbing to even think about. Both of them were training to become Heroes, of course... And therefore, both of them fully understood the dangers of their chosen line of work. On their very first hang out, or what would become known between the two of them as their 'First unofficial date', they had fought the Villain Overgrow. That should have been the wake up call to remind Izuku of the dangers of fighting alongside the people you cared about... But he'd just not wanted to accept it... Because he didn't want to imagine harm coming to Mina. Of everyone in the world, Class 1-A understood the realities of Heroism best. It wasn't all glamorous, and it wasn't all perfect. There were people out there who were totally psychotic, evil maniacs would wouldn't think twice about killing a baby, never mind a child or teenager if it was in order to achieve their goals. Harrowing a concept as it was, the possibility of winding up dead in the Hero business was one that was a reality for someone in the world every single day.

Stain had been the one to prove that to him. That had been the very real danger that he'd come close to losing his own life to not too long ago, so the imprint was still fresh in his mind. He knew the realities of it...

But when Mina finally came into his life in the way she did... He found himself pushing certain parts of that experience to the back of his head, even when the rational part of him was aware that he was doing it, and that he shouldn't be doing it at all... The prospect of her getting hurt or worse...

He wanted to be happy along with Mina. Anything that threatened to end that happiness... He just pushed the thoughts to the back of his head.

And he knew that the example given... Was entirely valid, so much so it honestly terrified him. Obviously it was incredibly hypothetical, and unlikely to happen in reality... But it got the point across.

If he were put in that situation... Who was he supposed to save?

Did he save Mina, his girlfriend, the hyperactive girl who never failed to make him laugh, the person who it was difficult to imagine life without, and the same person who he loved with every fibre of his being, at the expense of an in innocent civilian's life, thereby neglecting his duties and obligations as a Hero?

Or did he save the nameless person he had never met and would likely never see again in his life and stay true to the way of the Hero... At the expense of Mina's life?

This was something a Hero would have to choose between. This was the sort of thing that would give Heroes nightmares. Just thinking about the prospect of having to make such a choice... To someone who hadn't dreamed about coming to a school like this to train to achieve their goal their entire life... It might make them think twice about Heroism being their chosen field.

Deciding that making him answer the question would be pointless, Aizawa let out another sigh. Dealing with problem children like this was exhausting, and he was starting to think that his class was filled with nothing but those sorts of people. "Obviously I can't decide on your life for you. Though once you become a Hero, you are expected to follow a particular set of codes of conduct and those can interfere with your personal life." Rooting into his jacket to find something he'd prepared earlier. From it, he pulled out what appeared to be a pamphlet, with a pair of Heroes on the front of it, and held it out for Izuku to take. "Here. Look through this."

"H-Huh?"

"A lot of couples, husbands and wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, and everything at either end go into the Hero field as teams, or as individuals. It's not uncommon at all for these sorts of relationships to happen. Field romances actually rather common. Part of the dangers of the work that bring people closer together. There are dangers to that sort of arrangement though, Midoriya, but you should be able to get some sorts of training here to help the two of you get better at working together as Heroes."

Izuku's eyes widened at that statement, leaving him dazed for a moment. While they were now rare, Hero teams still did exist. Groups of Heroes who all agreed to work together as a single team, although in the current age, usually only very close knit groups did this.

"Speak to Ashido about it, and if she agrees, head over to the Hero Prep rooms tomorrow after homeroom." Aizawa recommended. "Even if you decide to work as separate Heroes, I'd recommend going to ask them about Quirk compatibility. Oh, and they'll expect you to have a Team name planned out if you decide to get training from them. It isn't any different to a Hero name, except it has to cover both of you."

* * *

"..Yeah, I can see why that'd freak you out." Mina nodded in agreement with her boyfriend's recollection at the story. In doing so, she passed him a can of cool soda straight from her family's refrigerator, resting it against his bare arm before he quickly grabbed it. "I'm kinda surprised that he even needed to confirm it with you. Could have just saved time and asked literally anyone in homeroom." Taking the seat next to him, she rested her head in her left hand, using her right to mop the sweat from her forehead. Heat combined with the current topic had led to Mina feeling like she was starting to overheat. "It's kind of difficult to see Aizawa-sensei showing any sort of interest in that sort of thing... And for him to do... That."

"He said it was the most logical option for him. It was either that or he could spend a few weeks spying on us..." Recalled Izuku, virtually word for word. That also made him shudder, the prospect of their homeroom teacher using whatever means necessary to determine their relationship. He knew for a fact he was thinking too deeply into this, but he couldn't help himself. He pressed the cold can against his forehead in an effort to cool himself down from the heat himself.

Mina chuckled lightly, before cracking open her own drink and taking a long intake from it. "Ahhh... Y'know, if Aizawa-sensei uses pure logic all the time, I don't thinkI mind being a bit irrational now and then, if that's the result."

Despite trying not to, Izuku did smile and laugh very lightly at his girlfriend's joking around. "It was just to help us, you know." He said, once he'd managed to stop his own laughter, though his smile refused to fade. "He said it didn't make sense for us to continue training only as solo Heroes if there was an option like this available to consider."

"Mhm." Hummed the pink girl, looking over at the leaflet that Izuku had down her, as provided by their homeroom teacher. When Izuku had first mentioned the prospect of them forming a Hero Team, she'd been interested, no question. It had been an option that she hadn't particularly considered, though she felt like the probably should have.

Hero Teams were often very effective in what they did, since they had more than one set of hands working on any particular case, and that also translated to one extra Quirk. While that was often the case, even with many solo Heroes who had to work together even if they were with different agencies, Hero Teams had the added benefit of knowing exactly what their partners were capable of, and even had strategies in play for certain situations, whereas solo Heroes often had to improvise. The reason so few existed being that differences, personal and financial, separated many groups and led them to going their own ways to pursue solo careers.

So greed and ego, basically.

However, the main thing preventing her and Izuku from deciding without hesitation that yes, this was an idea worth trying out, wasn't anything to do with money, nor was it anything to do with strategy or ideology. They both more or less agreed with one another in those various regards. It wasn't even anything to down to individual dreams of glory, since Hero Teams weren't necessarily restricted to only working with their partners. Individuals could still go out on patrol and fight crime when called upon specifically for their Quirks, or just stumbled upon it. No, being in a Hero Team didn't restrict people much at all if that was how they agreed to work their alliance.

The main issue here was their Quirks and their compatibility.

While both Quirks were Emitter Types, there were huge fundamental differences between the two. Izuku's One For All required physical contact, unless he planned on breaking one of his fingers to use a ranged attack, while Mina's Acid Quirk could be used at medium to long ranges if she was accurate with it. However... Their Quirks didn't exactly mix well together.

Sure, they'd used them together before, and the result had been pretty good against Overgrow on their unofficial date, but that was before Izuku had fully developed his Full Cowl fighting technique, and even then, that fight had only worked because Izuku had managed to get lucky, and not shoved his hand in corrosive acid. Now, his fighting style worked by getting in close, hitting his opponents with controlled super strength.

Unless he was close enough to give his targets a tight, reassuring hug, his Quirk didn't exactly do him much good.

Meaning Mina wasn't able to use her Quirk to help, or she risked injuring Izuku. Even if they used a tag-out system, the weakness of One For All shone brightly - It had next to no defensive capabilities. Perhaps that was to be expected from a passed down Quirk, and Izuku possessed literally nothing to his name except for some natural highlights in regards to individuality until he received One For All, but at the end of the day, it left them in a tricky spot.

"Did he say what sort of training there was gonna be?" Mina asked, internally praying to non-existent deities that it wouldn't involve anything written down.

"Nothing specific." Admitted Izuku with a sigh. "He just said that it would be helpful when it came to teamwork..."

"Well... What d'ya think?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, it could be kinda fun... But it's just our Quirks that make us working as a solid team tricky." The Acid Quirk user explained her reasoning simply. "It's not like working as solo Heroes is gonna change anything between us... But I'm willing to give trying at being a Hero Team a go, see how it plays out."

She basically had summed up all of Izuku's feelings towards the idea, and since Team Heroes could still operate independently from one another, it wasn't as though they were restricting themselves. Plus, the opportunist in Izuku was screaming how great an opportunity it would be to learn how Hero Team's properly functioned, and receive training that would no doubt be a huge help in the future.

"I'd say he's pretty much foaming at the mouth for it."

The inclusion of a third, male voice into the conversation almost gave Izuku a heart attack, until he quickly remembered, they were in Mina's house. Other people lived there. Growing up where he did, Izuku wasn't used to there being more than two or three people in any shared living environment. Plus, Mina had checked, and reported that no one had been in the house when they arrived.

And now Micha had shown up, a smug grin on his face that quickly spread when he had seen Izuku jump in surprise. At this stage, it really shouldn't, but it still did give Izuku a shock whenever Micha jumped in from nowhere.

"Do you find giving my boyfriend scares funny, Micha?" Mina asked her amused older brother, with a smile on her face, indicating that she herself found humour in the event. After all, Izuku's reactions had enough variety and entertainment in them to be their very own sitcom.

"Yep." Flatly answered the older Ashido sibling with a humorous edge to his voice. "Every time. He's easier to freak out than Mika around a melted Lego set."

"Cool. I'll remember to remind your girlfriend how you are with spiders then – "

"Don't even think about it."

The dynamics between the two Ashido siblings still did leave Izuku feeling like he was out of place at times. The two seemed to find endless amusement in mocking and insulting one another as much as physically viable, but they always did so with great humour. Banter wasn't exactly something that Izuku knew much about or how to do, or even what it was, but Mina and Micha seemed to get along well enough that they could take jabs at each other's most personal, darkest secrets, and the other one would just brush them off as though they were a lunatic and laugh along with them. Both had thick enough skins that they could probably metaphorically survive getting stabbed.

Did they ever go overboard? Had they ever actually upset one another by taking it one step too far and genuinely offending the other one, or were they just so headstrong and de-sensitized to one another that they couldn't even upset each other if they genuinely wanted to?

Ever since he had first been introduced to the members of Mina's large family, he had been invited back multiple times, usually by Mina, though her family would occasionally ask him if he wished to have dinner with them, which he usually accepted not to seem rude. While he did enjoy their company, and did indeed find value in what they had to say, and their opinions regarding him and Mina, their own personal relationships with one another seemed to all involved reckless disregard for the emotional stability of one another. Of course, they all cared for one another and never meant any of the offense that they hurled at one another, but their total lack of restraint did sometimes make Izuku feel like he'd just walked into an overly dramatic pantomime experience.

Most of the time he was there, they'd question him about Mina, and question Mina about him, trying to get any privy details that they could from their interrogations. After the first few visits though, they gave up on that, and just started teasing the crap out of the two of them. In spite of that though, they were genuinely friendly, and often told Izuku he was welcome there any time. In need of a place they could brainstorm and think of the best course of action, Mina suggested her house.

A choice she was now starting to regret. With Micha here, they weren't even gonna get close to figuring stuff out, were they?

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna interrupt your little session-stroke-date-stroke-planning-meeting-stroke-whatever the hell it is you two're doing." Assured the Meltdown Quirk user, pointing towards the refrigerator in the corner of the room as he made his way over to it. "Just wanted to get something cold to drink. Just ignore me."

"I've been doing that for the last five years." Mina sassily replied with a grin, before returning her attention back to Izuku, and glancing down at the leaflets again. "So… Do you think it'd be worth having a look at, Izuku?"

"Y-Yeah." He confirmed, nodding his own head. "I do."

To him, there weren't many negative associations to be made in attempting such a partnership, even if they decided that they didn't want to remain as such. Nothing would change between them in their relationship, and doing so could actually help them in their careers as Heroes. In addition, the training that they could receive would be invaluable when it came to learning to co-operate with Quirks that were dangerous and a hindrance to them, and could even be used to help combat Quirks used by villains that they struggled with.

If it was recommended that they gave becoming a Hero Team a try… Then Izuku was totally prepared to see where it went./

"Hey, if you're serious about doing the whole Hero Team thing, I already got a name for ya." Commented Micha from the other side of the room, opening up a can of soda in his hands and taking a long drink from it.

Mina let out a small sigh. "I thought you were shutting up?"

"And I thought you knew me better, Pinky." Grinned her brother victoriously.

"This should be good." Muttered the pink skinned girl, before turning to properly face him. "What've you got for us then?" She was expecting some smart-ass joke about the two of them, or a sarcastic quip about the way that the two of them interacted. She could practically hear his smug laughter already, and she decided that she could use a good laugh herself. Or maybe he'd surprise her.

Maybe her brother would be creative for once. Now that would certainly be a shock.

"A'ight, you're hyper as all hell, right?" Micha commented, pointing at his sibling with his finger, the rest still wrapped around the can he held. "Seriously, you act like you're on crack half the time. I don't get how you don't run out of energy half the time."

"It's called being physically fit."

"Yeah, and my skin and bones a'int gonna get me much of that, are they?" Lamented Micha, before moving on. "And Midoriya… You're timid as holy hell. I don't even have anything to go off of 'cause you're so awkward. I can't even make fun of you."

"Uh… Thanks?" The green haired boy nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head, unsure if he was being insulted or complimented.

"So you're awkward, and she's energetic – There's your Hero Team name. Awkward Energy."


	25. The Empty Classroom

Hero Teams were on the decline in the world of Heroism, and as a direct result of this, Yuuei had very few of its members interested in joining one, making it a lower priority when it came to funding. In the past, that particular aspect of the high school for training teenagers into superheroes was far more popular, but these days, maybe three or four such teams existed in the entire school, at any one time, and those were formed of very close, tight- knit groups of friends.

Or in Mina and Izuku's circumstances, boyfriend and girlfriend.

When the young couple walked into the room to find out where they were supposed to go to sign up for the sessions, or who was leading said sessions, or really, any information whatsoever about the Hero Teams, they were greeted by a set of about seven different pairs of eyes, all fixed right on the first year couple.

Another thing if note that was abruptly dropped on the pair of them. Currently, they were the only first years who were interested in this sort of thing. The rest were second or third years, people who had arguably more experience than them - Arguably, because the first years had gone through a hell of a lot more than the second years would have traditionally gone through, due to constant Villain attacks against them.

The room was primarily second years, small groups that had just decided to give Hero Teams a shot. People who had grown to know each other over the course of over a year or so. Not all of them would stick with it, deciding that it wasn't the path for them, hence why there were only a couple of third year teams here.

The fact that there were no first year Hero Teams, or even showing an interest in the concept, wasn't exactly a reassuring thing for the always anxious Izuku. It made part of him feel like he and Mina were perhaps rushing into this without thoroughly thinking things through, like these other, senior members of the school. These people must have had a better idea as to what one could expect of this sort of extra-curricular class.

Plus, they must have known about this for a lot longer than they had. Having only heard it from Aizawa-sensei just a couple of days ago, they had decided to see what they could learn from it, under the guise of 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'. They didn't really know much else about the classes at all, other than Aizawa recommended it if they were dating.

Was this a good idea for them?

Was it their best choice, or were they overthinking things?

Would firming a Hero Team together be the best choice?

Before Izuku could begin his infamous muttering that could be used as a special move all of its own, he felt Mina's warm hand wrap itself around his own, and intertwining their fingers in that way that joined them close together. Reflexively, his head turned to look towards her, and he was greeted with the trademark Ashido smile, wide and pure.

"You're overthinking things. Don't worry 'bout anything, Izuku." She told him with a reassuring tone in her voice, squeezing his hand a bit tighter. "We don't have to commit to this if we don't wanna, remember? We're just here to check it out."

If there was something that Mina had improved on during their time dating, it was her ability to detect Izuku's discomfort and reassure him of the worries he had. She didn't even need to hear him use words to know what was going on sometimes. Like she'd learned just what made him tick in such a short space of time, and what things she had to do or say to get him to calm down… Or make him blush, depending on her mood. Either way, she brought him immense comfort just being around him these days… And it was just one of the reasons Izuku cared for her.

And one of the reasons why, pushing aside his awkward and overthinking traits, he was confident in the idea of making a Hero Team with her. They both balanced the other person out. Mina, by her own admission, wasn't the best when it came to strategy or planning, while Izuku excelled in these areas, and where Izuku tended to show his nervousness and shy ticks, Mina was energetic and social. As a pair, they pretty much covered all bases – Izuku was good at dealing with Villains, mostly due to his experience in doing so, and Mina was great at working with civilians due to her sociable personality. Of course, each of them had skills in the others specialty, but that was to be expected of every Hero on the planet.

As a two person team, they had the ideal set of skills. At least, that was the conclusion they themselves had come up with. They had no idea at all if that was how a Hero team was supposed to work, or if it mostly focused on Team attacks or prioritization or whatever the heck else could be a part of those sorts of things. As Hero Course students, they didn't really learn about Hero Teams because of their decline.

Essentially, they had both just imagined what sorts of things would be important regarding this sort of arrangement – They really had no true idea.

"Right." Izuku nodded, forcing a small smile at the edges of his lips. He didn't really have much reason to be nervous, and he knew this perfectly well. In truth, it was just a small aspect of his awkward personality shining through again, seeping through his newly built confidence and showing the softer side that he still maintained.

Scanning the room though, there didn't even seem to be a teacher in the room, or an advisor, or anyone who seemed to be in charge of the students here. After looking at the shiny new people who had walked in the door, the students inside had just gone back to their groups, already bored if Izuku and Mina, and looking bored overall for that matter.

"Hey, 'scuse me!" Mina called over to one of the students, shattering the relative silence that the room held. Once again, all the eyes in the room were focused on the pink girl and the green haired boy while Mina tried to grab the attention of a nearby second year student who looked like he was about ready to give Mina a right hook to the side of the head for interrupting his conversations.

"What." With feathers as opposed to skin, a bit like Tokoyami from their class, Izuku quickly got the feel that this particular person didn't even like either of them despite having seen them for about seven seconds overall. He seemed to be openly hostile, for whatever reason. Perhaps he simply didn't like people… Which made his choice to be forming a Hero Team certainly an odd one.

"Who's supposed to teach these classes?"

The second year looked at Mina like she was some sort of idiot, but answered flatly anyway. "Ectoplasm-sensei."

"And where is he?"

"Not here."

"You don't say." Mina muttered with sarcasm, looking towards the desk where Ectoplasm was supposed to be sat at, and tilted her head slightly. "So… We're wanting to get a bit of info about becoming a Hero Team, and we just got told to come here for that, and to sign up as well."

"You'll have to wait then."

"L-Let's leave him alone, Mina." Izuku suggested, tugging at his girlfriend's shoulder before she could respond again. "I don't think he wants to be bothered."

Taking the time out to actually look at the unamused glare that the second year was giving, Mina quickly backed away and conceded the point. Following Izuku's lead, the pair found a small table that no one else was at, and pulled up a couple of chairs to sit on.

"I know that Hero Teams aren't that popular anymore, but this room almost seems dead." The Acid Quirk user muttered to her boyfriend, looking around again to see the small number of students here, and the fact that they had a teacher who was apparently late, for whatever reason… It almost felt like it was a direct juxtaposition to what Yuuei was supposed to be – Full, punctual, and motivated regardless of the department that you were a part of.

Fully agreeing with her, Izuku noted the exact same things about the place. For very good reasons… It reminded him of the Hero Killer, and the words that he had used during his encounter with him. The philosophy and the ramblings of someone who saw society in an almost nihilistically cynical manner. A person who had nothing but distain for quite a lot of the Heroes in the world, and how society seemed to be heading in place of these 'Fake Heroes' who looked out only for themselves, money, and glory.

The same things that had caused Hero Teams to become less prominent in the current age. Greed, and desire for individual fortune and fame. It was a perfect reflection, right here.

Teams made up of multiple Heroes were common when Quirks first made their appearance on the world. During those early days, fame, money, pride and glory… They weren't even factors. The first Heroes in the world were in fact, Vigilantes, people who earned nothing for performing Heroic deeds, totally independently from the government. In fact, their actions were considered illegal by a great number of people at the time, and some historians even to this day claimed that they were illegal actions by criminals…

But the thing that those Heroes acted on were a genuine desire for peace, security, and to stop those who had Quirks from using them for selfish reasons. To stop the first criminals who had Quirks.

They were the foundation for true Heroes like All Might, Izuku thought. The original Heroes who acted as illegal Vigilantes until the term Hero became a recognised profession.

They acted so similarly to Stain and his ideals…

They helped prove his point.

So few people interested in anything other than the perks of Heroism…

"You alright?" Snapped out of his thoughts by his girlfriend's interruption, Izuku's eyes widened, and he noticed that he'd just been zoned out, thinking about things that had happened a long time ago.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay." He said, shaking his head and blinking rapidly. "I-I was just…. Thinking about some things, that's all."

"What things?"

"Just…. Some things I saw while researching Hero Teams a while back." He made up, making his excuse sound as believable as he could. Lying to her was one thing, but there wasn't any need to remind her of the horrible time when Stain had been on the prowl, and he'd had his encounter with the Hero Killer. White lie or not, Izuku didn't like lying to her… But he hated seeing her reminded of those times and being sad a lot more. "I-I was just expecting… A lot more enthusiasm… And people."

"I was too." Mina agreed, not suspecting anything of what Izuku was saying. Reluctantly, Izuku had to admit, he was a good liar. "Seems more tame than I expected. Ectoplasm-sensei isn't usually late to his own lessons."

None of the Yuuei teachers were usually late to their lessons… Unless something was going on that required more immediate attention. Usually that meant that All Might had some sort of incident regarding keeping up his Hero form that was going to prevent him from attending lessons, meaning that lesson plans and appearances had to be shifted around so the students didn't figure out that something was wrong.

It did cause Izuku grief to think that that was what was going on. Guilt too. He couldn't be more grateful to All Might. Without him, he wouldn't even have a prayer at pursuing his dream of becoming a Hero… But at the same time, he sometimes felt that he had stolen All Might's ability to be a Hero…

No… He knew that he'd stolen All Might's Ability to be a Hero.

"…You're worried about All Might, aren't you?"

"H-What - ?"

"You're predictable, y'know? I know about all that All Might stuff, remember? I'm not gonna fall for that trick again." Mina cheerfully, but quietly so the other students surrounding them didn't hear, reminded her boyfriend. "You're thinking about how Ectoplasm-sensei must be late because of some interruption with All Might, yeah?"

Now Mina knew about the truth about All Might, something she had learned a while ago, tricks like this didn't work on her. Before, and to anyone else, Izuku could lie through his teeth, and claim that he was worried about something else, or that he wasn't even worried at all… But Mina… Mina knew the truth. About All Might. About his Quirk. About Izuku's Quirk. About his and All Might's relationship, and how the world's number one Hero had helped Izuku rise to be able to attend this famous Hero school.

She knew Izuku very well. Better than anyone. And she knew how he thought.

"Talk to me about it?" She asked, neither pushing him towards telling her, nor guilt-tripping him to do so either. She was simply inviting him to confide in her, so she could offer her support to him. "Please?"

"…One For All… It's not mine. Not originally, anyway…" Izuku sighed, admitting his guilt. "All Might gave it up so I could try and become a Hero… But he can't even do his own Hero work anymore. I… I know that he said his own Hero career was… Basically over, because of the injury that he sustained…. But…"

"But?..."

"… I can barely even use One For All, and I'm only learning how to use it slowly… I mean… I can't quit being a Hero even if I wanted to… But… Sometimes… I think that it would have been better to leave One For All with All Might…"

"Izuku, you – "

Before Mina could finish her sentence, the door to the room suddenly slung open, and in stepped their late teacher, Ectoplasm-sensei.

What Mina had to say would have to wait.

* * *

 **I know its short and not as much as I would have liked happened in this chapter, but due to a car crash that happened nearby, I couldn't really do much more. I'm sorry if this chapter is a bit disappointing, but it is the start of a mini arc I plan on doing before the School Trip Arc which I think will be fun.**

 **If you aren't happy wiht this chapter, I suggest trying out The First Generation, my other MinaDeku story that got a healthy update last night. Hopefully that will be good for you guys ^_^**

 **Again, sorry there isn't much t this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed anyway ^_^**


	26. Your Power

Signing up for Hero Team training was, as it turned out, far less complicated than either Izuku or Mina had thought. Literally, the only thing that it took was Ectoplasm taking a note of both of their names, and their Team Hero Name. After a small amount of debate between the two young students, they had agreed that the name Awkward Energy did suit them best - Even if Izuku's contribution to the team name being his meek disposition hurt his pride. Once that had been attained and noted down, Ectoplasm would send it off to the Headmaster for confirmation, and their names would be officially added to the roster by the end of the day.

It almost felt too easy, like there was some sort of catch to these extremely simple conditions that was just waiting to be sprung on them that were going to catch them out and put a crimp in their plans. But there wasn't one. No tricks or temptations to sway them, or any info-drops dumped on them designed to test their resolve by trying to scare them away.

No, it was as simple as a few scribbles on a piece of paper, and one signature later they would be ready to go.

It caused Izuku to blink a few times after it was done, feeling like he'd just blacked out through half of the conversation. Thanks to how Aizawa-sensei did things, he was used to expecting trickery or deceit during this sort of thing now.

"You alright?" Ectoplasm questioned, looking at Izuku with the closest look to concern that his Hero Costume and his grotesquely bizarre face would allow him.

"S-Sorry." The green haired boy apologised, shaking his head rapidly to snap him out of his stupor. "I was just... I didn't expect it to be that easy, that's all."

Sharing his surprise, Mina nodded in agreement with her boyfriend, nearly mirroring his expression exactly. "Yeah... Aren't you gonna like, try and throw us off, or intimidate us or something?" The pair had almost been essentially conditioned to expect such straightforward things to be overly complicated when dealing with Yuuei staff. It was hard to remember that not every single teacher was as... Eccentric as theirs were.

Sitting back into his chair, their Clone Quirk using teacher responded in a relaxed, calm manner. "I might have done normally, but you first years have already been through a huge amount this year. The USJ, the Kiyashi Ward incident, and now your training has been accelerated up in pace considerably, and you're all still attending classes. To top that off, you're also here to attend extra-curriculum sessions on how to work as a Hero Team, willingly. As far as I'm concerned, that's good enough an indicator that you're both serious about becoming Heroes. Trying to freak you out about this sort of class would be pointless."

Neither of them could be persuaded out of doing this, both of them knew this much. Izuku's awkwardness was one thing, but he wasn't going to back down from this once he was certain about it. Nor could they be intimidated from doing so. Basically, any of the traditional Yuuei attempts to shake their students faith before sending them off into a drastic and dangerous test wasn't going to work on them right now.

The logic was there, but...

"That's a bunch of crap!"

... The other Hero Team Students didn't seem to feel the same way about it.

Rising from his seat quickly, the Professional Hero stood tall as he could on his prosthetic limbs, like he were a kindergarten carer about to scold a naughty pupil. Pretty clearly an action that Ectoplasm wasn't happy to have to take with third year Hero Course students. "Kuroshi -"

"We all had to go through some sort of initiation to attend these sessions! How come the first years can get away without doing one!?" The third year student sounded seriously angry at the prospect of a simple entrance into the classes. The ferocity of which he seemed to oppose this startled Izuku and Mina both, throwing the pair of them off completely.

"I agree." This time, the very same feather covered student Mina had questioned when they had first entered the room spoke of his agreement. It's basically a tradition at this point. If they want to prove that they actually can work as a team."

Entrance examinations, those were one thing, and they made sense. They were designed to test the strength of an individual's Quirk, their judgement, their ability to work under pressure, and to maximise their results under a short amount of time - At least that was the point of the Physical exam.

Though this was a first for both the first year students. An Entrance exam that was treated as a tradition in order to test if they were capable of attending extracurricular classes?

"Both of these students have already faced their fair share of danger. Making them go through an initiation isn't only unfair, but it's a waste of time too." The teacher in the room kept defending his stance, leaving the clear impression he wasn't pleased with how his students were behaving right now.

"Sir, the Villains aren't going to care about things being fair." The first student argued, though this time, he seemed to maintain his composure. "If they want to be in a Hero Team, we have to make extra certain that they can manage it."

Though it appeared as though Ectoplasm was about to argue again, he instead sat down with a hefty sigh. "That's true. Villains can't be predicted. Expecting them to play by the rules is naive..."

"Um... What're you talking about? What's this 'Tradition' you keep mentioning?" His curiosity finally getting the best of him, Izuku spoke up. He didn't address the question to anyone in particular. Just anyone who was going to be able to give him a straight answer.

"With the rate at which they are on the decline, we have to make sure to produce the highest quality of Hero Teams that we possibly can. As the frequency of the teams decreases, the ones that do go on to become official Hero Teams have to be shining in quality in order to pick up the slack." Ectoplasm addressed Izuku's question. "Imagine if there were only a few Heroes in Tokyo at this time. In order for them to keep up with the rate at which Villains keep appearing, they would all have to be as strong as All Might." The mention of Izuku's favourite Pro Hero made him flinch, remembering the only possible cause for Ectoplasm being late to the session. "Of course, we have to make sure that all of the students who leave here are the best that they can be, but if only a few exist, they need to be absolutely beyond the best. The same rationality had to be applied to how we produce Hero Teams."

"The Tradition is how anyone gets onto these classes." The first pupil, who Izuku had picked up was called Kuroshi, carried on in place. "Since we all need to know at least the basics of what we're doing, we had to complete a physical exam with the people we've chosen to form a team with. Basically to make sure that we can at least work with the people we've chosen. Some people just aren't compatible with the people they chose to work with in practice. Maybe because of ideas or incompatible Quirks."

This caused Izuku and Mina to glance towards one another. Quirk compatibility was a concern of theirs. Coming to these sessions - Learning to make their Quirks work together was the point in the first place!

And now they were being told there was some sort of 'Minimal Requirement'?

"Wait, hold up!" It wound up being Mina who called this out. "We got told that we'd be trained to make our Quirks more compatible with each other! That's pretty much the whole reason we're here!"

"How many Hero Teams do you see where one guy has a Fire Quirk and the other has an Ice Quirk?"

"...You know we have a guy in our class with that exact Quirk, right? He was at the Sports Festival, he was sort of hard to miss, on account of the giant ice glaciers and fire tornados he shot out."

"Okay, bad example. Then someone who can dissolve things and a Strength Enhancement Type." The pale skinned third year gave another example. "The point being, some Quirks just aren't going to work with one another at all, based in how they work individually. I'm not sure if I can think of a worse pair."

Neither Izuku or Mina moved. Either this person had an uncanny ability to make disturbingly apt comparisons, or he was messing with them intentionally. Irrelevant of how he was doing this... He had a point.

Inherently, a Quirk that relied on physical contact mixed with a Quirk that was emission based was going to be a struggle... But Acid was dangerous even after it made contact with an opponent. The best case result was Izuku having a few hydrofluoric burns in his arms.

The worst case was his entire face melting off.

Expressions that they made earned them a few odd looks, like they'd just swallowed a set of exceptionally sour candies and were trying their damnedest to look like it wasn't affecting them and failing miserably, until Kuroshi seemed to get the message, and laughed. "Oh-ho, this is gonna be good."

* * *

"What're you doing, Izuku?"

There was still a bit of discomfort regarding Mina using his first name while they were in public. He'd said she could call him by his first name, sure, and he stood by that. He had absolutely no problems with her doing so. In fact, he liked it. It made them feel much closer to one another than he felt to anyone else, and it acted like a reality check. That their relationship was in fact, real. That he wasn't just dreaming this all up as he sometimes expected it to be revealed he had been doing so.

That being said, that only applied to when they were alone. He had said as much when he first said she could call him that, and for a while, she'd kept with it. Calling him Izuku only when there wasn't anyone around, or when they were on their own... But as time had passed, she'd started using his Midori nickname less and less, and his first name more and more. Now, she barely even called him Midori, even though she had claimed it was cuter. Even the honorifics were gone now. No longer was he Midoriya-san, Midoriya-kun, or Midori-kun.

Now he was either Izuku, or Izu-kun. And she made especially sure to call him Izu-kun when they were in front of their friends. He was convinced that she was just showing off at that point.

Granted, he had done the same. He never referred to Mina in the polite, correct term, but instead, by her first name. Although he felt he had an exception, since Mina had basically told him that she preferred him to call her Mina, without honorifics at all. Izuku hadn't said that he was comfortable with Mina doing the same to him...

But he had gotten used to it. He didn't mind so much anymore, but it did still make his heart race when she called him like that when surrounded by others. He could hear some murmurings and even snickers around him when Mina called him that, though he knew none of it was malicious in any way.

Looking up to his pink girlfriend, Izuku's cheeks were tinted the same pigment lightly themselves. Even after being with her for such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, they were closer than some adult relationships that he knew of. And it still all felt new and exciting to him, and he still got that charge when she used his first name like that.

Though the pink cheeks were mostly due to the glances he was getting from Mineta in the corner of his eye. Thankfully, he was keeping his mouth shut for once.

"I-I'm just going over some... Costume improvements I've been thinking about." He explained, sliding a piece of paper that he'd been scribbling on, filled with a sketch of his costume, and with notes for specifications that he was requesting.

Pulling the nearest chair away from its desk - Which belonged to Bakugou, but thankfully since it was lunchtime, he wasn't around to blow a gasket at her - And sat herself directly opposite her boyfriend, reading over the design. "I thought you didn't want your costume to be too heavily altered from the original design?"

"From the design, no, but the specifications are stuff I'll just have to get used to being flexible with." He explained. "I already had modifications added by my support company, even though I didn't ask for them. If the overall design is the same, then it's not that much of a problem."

Understanding why, Mina continued reading. She did find it both cute and slightly odd that his reasoning behind not wanting a flashy costume like she had designed was because his had been made by his mother. Cute because it still had that childish feel to it, and odd for... The exact same reason.

It felt a tad odd that someone with such a powerful Quirk and a Heroic drive was keeping his costume basic because his Mom had made it for him. That sounded like something that you'd get the crap beaten out of you for in middle school.

Yet Izuku made it seem sweet.

He was an odd guy.

Scanning over the improvements he wanted making, Mina's eye was caught by a specific request to his costume. "Acid proof capabilities?..."

"Yeah." Beamed Izuku. "I thought that maybe if I asked for them to either change the material to something acid proof, or provided some sort of costing method that should help keep my costume and my skin safe from your Acid Quirk, it'd help make our ability to work well together much better!"

It was a very smart, and genuinely kind thing to be thinking about. Aware that she wanted to give this Hero Team situation a serious attempt, he had gone out of his way to get a costume modification form and was planning to send off his costume to get it fixed just to aid in the compatibility front. Just so they had a half-decent chance at being able to make the Hero Team thing work.

Yet at the same time... It also did upset her a bit. She knew that he was right, but...

"...So you don't think our Quirks are compatible, then?" Obviously, he had no intentions to upset or offend her in any way. And to be frank, he hadn't, in particular. But it just stung a little to know that for all his intelligence and creativity, he couldn't find a way to make their Quirks work without the need for external modifications.

With a heavy sigh, Izuku looked at her. "We knew that we were a bad match when it came to Quirks... I tried, but... It didn't work. The only way I could think of is if I used mine to knock out a Villain, and then you used your Acid on them afterward... But at that point, I already beat the Villain, so it's sort of pointless... Even if I could find a way to make your Quirk and mine work... This is just safer for me. All it takes is for a slight miscalculation from you, or a bad wrong-way step from me, and I'd get a nasty scar..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Slumping into her arms in the desk, Mina rested her chin between her two limbs, and groaned lightly. "Man, this is gonna be such a pain..."

"You mean the initiation?"

"Yeah. Damn third and second years." Muttering under her breath, she glared out the window at a cloud that she didn't like the look of. It looked like a feather, which reminded her of that second year student she'd spoken to.

Persuaded by the arguments that his class had made, Ectoplasm-sensei had relented on the initiation tradition, meaning that Team Awkward Energy was going to have to go through with it after all. Though he claimed that their initiation was going to be different compared to the other students, by its applications. Each initiation for each team was unique, designed around Quirks and individual merit, somewhat similar to how the recent closing semester tests had been. It also presented challenges and criteria based on the same factors teams had been chosen for the semester exams, meaning relationships, Quirks and grades.

For example, a team that had hard hitting, flashy Emitter Type Quirks, filed with people who specialised in fighting Villains, would be tested on their ability to rescue people, and would lose marks based on how much property damaged they caused. It was a basic example, but it displayed how the grading criteria was going to be set out. To help Ectoplasm make his notes, and to provide additional obstacles, the other Hero Team students would also be there.

It was also going to take place after school hours. Since time was limited to three days before the students from the first year went on their training camp trip, that was the only time that they would have to hold the initiation. It would be held at the USJ, since that place had the best environment for the type of thing the initiation would require - A variety of environments, lots of open space to hide and multiple opportunities for a 'Villain incursion', whatever that meant.

Almost certainly nothing good.

* * *

The end of the day came around a lot faster than either Mina or Izuku expected. Usually, the day felt like it would last forever under similar circumstances, but discussions and preparation for the school trip had helped the hours fade away without a huge deal of frustration building up in either of them due to time feeling like a crawl. Both of them did feel the nerves that came when they were faced with an examination or a quiz that was thrown at them out of the blue. Nerves were natural whenever anything major like this, although Mina did seem to have a quiet amount of confidence in the pair of them at the same time. She wasn't dreading this like she was the Semester finals, since the worst case scenario was just that they wouldn't be able to take Hero Team classes. It would suck, but there was sure as hell worse things to happen.

Thankfully, there were no written tasks that they had to complete in said initiation either. It was a totally physical abilities based examination, since they already clearly knew the theory of Heroism. The rules and theories of Hero Teams was the exact same as it was for Solo Heroes, just with additional people along for the ride. Therefore, the Initiation was to be based on physical prowess. Which Mina felt she was pretty damn good at. Admittedly, she had to confess that her abilities needed serious improvement. The aforementioned semester Finals had shown her that much. Either way though, her skills in fitness and her Quirk were the things she was the best at.

Intellectual tests were Izuku's strong point, and since he had gained better control of his Quirk, he was a very competent fighter. Fundamentally, his Quirk was a lot stronger than Mina's was. Once he mastered it within time, he was going to be an unstoppable superhuman that no one was going to be able to beat without breaking a few bones, overexerting their own Quirks, or just being one hell of a lucky bastard… But…

There was something that Mina had noticed about him since he had mentioned his doubt about his worthiness to own the One For All Quirk. He just… He seemed to have lost a lot of his confidence regarding it.

Not that he ever seemed to show any exuberant levels of overconfidence, like Bakugou did. He wasn't some sort of hyper-self-assured individual who had been born with powerful abilities. He'd been born powerless, and had to claw at whatever straws he could grasp until he received One For All. Essentially, despite the fact he was clearly growing more and more accustomed to having a Quirk… He still didn't really think of it as being his own ability.

Mina couldn't even remember the last time that he'd referred to it as 'His Quirk' after she'd learned about One For All and they were alone. If he did, she couldn't remember it, but they were few and far between.

For everything her personality might suggest about her, Mina wasn't oblivious, and she could put things together. She understood the various things Izuku felt… Well, she wouldn't ever be able to understand them exactly, but she could at least get where he was coming from. She couldn't understand how it felt to be Quirkless in this day and age, and she couldn't understand how it must have felt to receive a Quirk and not feel like it was entirely one's own…

But it wouldn't take someone special to comprehend that it was going to be an awful feeling. Like he was inferior to every one of his classmates. He was getting by on dedication and determination. Admirable traits to anyone at all… Yet it didn't help that Izuku was constantly thrown into the deep end when it came to his situation.

Villains, criminals, killers, and being held hostage…

Looking at him, sat with his hands firmly griping the cloth on his Hero costumes knee pads, Mina wondered, why was it always him? Why was it always Izuku that was thrown into these dangerous situations? Why did he seem to have to always pay the price for the mistakes of those who surrounded him? Why did he always seem to be the one who couldn't ever just have it easy, for once in his life?

It felt like he was the main character in some ridiculous Manga series that always contrived a reason for him to be thrown into a high-octane battle. That sort of thing barely happened to Mina – She started to wonder if she even showed up in this imaginary Manga that was Izuku's life when it went to hell.

Sat next to one another as one of Ectoplasm's Clones drove them, along with the other Hero Team students to the USJ, they would only have a few more minutes to talk until they reached their destination. The original Pro-Hero was stood up near his Second and Third year students, giving them details on the tasks he wanted them to complete in order to help with the Initiation. How they were supposed to help, Mina had no idea, though she would eventually find out, she supposed. Her attention, primarily, was on Izuku though.

She wanted to say something to him to help bring him back around. Something that would bring back that awkwardly nervous but steadily growing confident boy she had ended up falling in love with like the helpless romantic she was.

Surrounded by people who might hear her though… there wasn't anything she could say about One For All directly, in case someone who had particularly good hearing managed to catch wind of what she was saying. That was all it would take, and Izuku would be screwed.

But she knew what she wanted to say… And she could say it without giving away the origins of his Quirk entirely.

"…Izuku… You remember that fight you had with Todoroki at the Sports Festival?" She mentioned, bringing up the scene which had forever been burned into her limbic system for how amazing a spectacle it had been.

He seemed surprised that she was talking to him about something serious, since they'd spent most of the trip in silence, only Mina pointing out interesting observations outside the window whenever one came into sight, her trademark energy shining through whenever she saw a Hero, a cool looking Quirk or something exciting. For his part, Izuku had politely acknowledged her sighting, but hadn't said much, if anything, afterward. He didn't desire to be rude…

Simultaneously however, he didn't want to talk about them either. Though the mention of his battle against the Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user… That had caught his attention.

"Yeah?" He responded, interested to see where she was going with this.

"That was the first time I really noticed you properly, y'know. I mean, I saw you during our first combat Training exercise with All Might… But I didn't really _see_ you, if you get what I mean."

If she had to explain it, Mina would attribute it to being like seeing a frame of a person in a movie, and seeing them in real life. The face value of a character in a film was something that you only saw what was on the surface. Meeting a person in real life was a totally different experience. They could be a totally different person that the movie implied them to be.

Meeting an actor who played a character that you hated beyond all comprehension… And then meeting them in person. Part of you would just assume that the actor was a scumbag themselves, which is why it messed with people when the Villains actor was actually as nice as one could ever be.

Seeing Izuku in action for the first time was like watching a character in an action movie. Seeing him in the Sports Festival had been like actually seeing him for the first time.

That was how Mina felt, anyway, looking back on things now. It had been what had caused her to approach him the way she had in the first place.

One bump in the road later as Ectoplasm's Clone ran over a speed bump that caused the vehicle to bounce up a few inches before falling back to Earth, Izuku nodded in his acknowledgement of what Mina had said. "Yeah… I think I get it. It's kind of like seeing All Might on the vids and then getting to know him as a student."

Of course he compared it to All Might. "Good enough." Smiling at his default nerdiness, Mina carried on. "You were freakin' awesome back then, y'know. You managed to get Todoroki to use his fire Quirk, and he'd always refuse to use it 'till you made him. It was amazing to watch."

It wasn't like Izuku had forgotten about it…

"I used to think Todoroki was the strongest person in our class… Now I think it's you,"

"…Mina, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?"

"You said all of this when we first started talking… It was the first stuff you ever said to me." Izuku remembered it all very well. The same day as the Sports Festival had been the day Mina had approached him, and that small detail had turned his life into what it was now, with Mina as his girlfriend, a person he loved dearly, and whom he considered to be a fundamental part of how he had become who he was now.

He hadn't forgotten their first conversation. He had no intention to, either.

After letting out a small chuckle at being caught, the pink girl decided to get to the point. "It was televised, you know. I know Mika took what you said to Todoroki to heart."

"What I –"

Suddenly, she jabbed a finger into his chest, firmly enough that she could feel his heartbeat, which seemed to have picked up a few BPM, either from surprise or something else, that was up to speculation. The formerly Quirkless boys eyes shot down to look at her index finger, and then back up, to see here dark eyes looking right back at him.

With a cold seriousness to her voice, one Izuku had never heard before in his entire life, to the point it made his spine shiver, Mina spoke slowly, making her words as clear as possible.

" _'It's your power.'_ "

* * *

Since their last visit, the USJ had been fixed up, basically completely at this point. Whoever Yuuei hired, they sure worked quickly, and had the place in full working order the day after it was announced safe from the Villains. It seemed like the construction crew that they hired must have had Quirk licenses, since that was the only what that the building could be brought back up to speed this quickly.

Once exited, and inside the USJ, and atop the staircase where both Izuku and Mina first saw actual Villains, both were his with a wave of…. It was difficult to describe it. Nostalgia implied that it was a good thing and a pleasant memory. Déjà vu would probably define it better. From here, every zone was in sight, the flood zone, the urban zone, extreme weather zone, and so on and so forth.

Izuku gulped. It wasn't voluntarily, but those memories made him remember how he had felt when he had first fought those Villains, when he still hadn't gotten proper control of One For All. He remembered those experiences, and he probably was always going to, since they stood out so brightly to him. His fist tightened as he thought back to those times though, and he remembered.

That he wasn't that weak anymore. That he could fight now.

"You doin' okay?" Mina asked, leaning forward slightly to see his face better than she could at the side of him.

"…Yeah, I'm okay." He confirmed, nodding.

"Okay, all Initiation students, listen up!" Ectoplasm announced loudly, capturing the attention of all the Hero Team students. He had a surprisingly loud voice when he wanted to.

Making a semi-circle just in front of him, the nine students got ready to listen.

As they approached, Izuku and Mina both noticed that Kuroshi Third Year student was grinning towards them, in a manner all too eerily reminded them of Bakugou. He even had the red eyes…. Partly. He appeared to have central heterochromia, making his eyes both blood red near the pupil, before becoming white around the edges. He was the stereotypical appearance of an albino, right down to the white skin and hair.

Somehow that made it creepier.

"Okay, since the primary focus of Hero Team is teamwork, of course, Midoriya and Ashido will be working in their team. The rest of you will be given the option to act independently, or to work in teams, that choice is up to you." Ectoplasm explained. "The Initiation is simple – Treat it as a rescue mission."

Before any questions could be arisen, Ectoplasm's mouth unhinged, and he spawned a large number of clones with his plasma, all of which were already running off in various directions to multiple places. They moved with speed that was impressive for a person who hadn't lost both their legs, so Ectoplasm's ability to run with his prosthetics was a statement in itself.

"My Clones are going to be scattered throughout the USJ, and Team Awkward Energy's job is to rescue as many as possible in a time limit of thirty minutes. You're going to be assessed on your ability to work as a team under pressure, as well as if your Quirks are going to be able to work as if they were one cohesive unit. Mistakes will be noted, and your final grade will be based on how many you save, and how you fight off the Villains."

"Villains?" Mina echoed.

"That's right – The remaining students, you will be acting as the Villains in this exercise – You will be doing anything in your power to stop Team Awkward Energy from rescuing even a single one of my Clones. As Villains, nothing is off the table for you, so make sure that you don't allow them to pass with any sort of ease."

Kuroshi seemed to show off a set of teeth, while his hand burst into flames. "Yes, sir."


	27. My Power

One of the most common questions that Izuku asked himself throughout his entire life was a simple one word inquiry. It was so simple a question that it almost sounded like a child was wanting attention from their parents by asking irritating questions, but they were valid, at least to the green haired boy. A simple question that could be asked about so many of the things that happened throughout his life, that he wished could be answered simply, if only because it would save him both a lot of heartache and pain, but would stop making him ponder it every time it entered his head, and sent him down the spiral of worries and doubts that he'd never escape from.

That question was...

Why?

It applied to such a wide variety of things that Izuku was used to asking that question far more than any other. The contract always mattered, and he found himself always wanting to know more. His inquisitive nature naturally led to him to think these things and ponder them, but the main ones were obvious. The ones he wanted to know so badly. The ones he pondered all the time.

Why had he been so unlucky as to be born Quirkless?

Why had he been chosen to succeed All Might?

Why did he always seem to be involved in dangerous situations whenever they showed up?

Why couldn't he figure out a faster way to master One For All?

These were questions that he asked himself basically every day. Some of which, he already knew the answers to, but just struggled to accept them, because they felt so completely alien to him.

The fact that he was Quirkless he had answered long ago. He could explain that one with the power of science - People just weren't born equal. Being Quirkless was a recessive trait, meaning that, even if one of his parents was Quirkless, he would have been much more likely to get a Quirk than not. But he hadn't. This meant both his parents carried to recessive Quirkless Trait that left him powerless. Sort of like the traits that gave people red hair. He was just unlucky enough to be born with the trait that meant naturally, he would never have a Quirk of his own. The answer here – He was just unlucky. Simple as that.

The fact that All Might had chosen him, of the eight billion people on the planet, to be inherit the power that was One For All. That was something that, even with the explanation from All Might himself, Izuku still struggled to understand sometimes. Of the many incredible people out there, with absolutely amazing Quirks that could shake the very foundations of the world. And he was the one who had been chosen. That was an idea he still struggled to get his head wrapped around sometimes. And while that fact made Izuku was to cry tears of joy every time he thought about it... Part of him still felt unworthy to wield this power.

The fact he couldn't find a way to master One For All... Full Cowl was helping him get there. And he was getting there. If he kept this up, he'd be able to wield the Quirk fully within a few years... But it was a slow process, and while he knew that patience and practice would eventually make perfect... He didn't want to wait. He wanted to be able to become a Hero as fast as possible, to be able to help save people with a smile while announcing that everything would be okay, even in the face of danger and fear.

That had been his dream, for so, so, so long, and now, the ability to do that was in his veins... But he couldn't control it. He wasn't sure if that was fair of him or not, if he had any real right to complain over the speed of his development of the Quirk when he should just be damn thankful for his Quirkless body to even have a Quirk… But now that he had it, that it was within his palms…

It frustrated him... Of course he still had years ahead of him at Yuuei that he needed to complete before he could even think about becoming a Professional, yet his desire to excel, and his lack of ability to do so… It frustrated him. While everyone else could really push themselves to the limit, stretch their Quirks like there was no tomorrow, he still had to figure out how to get his Quirk off its stabilisers. But it also reminded him that it wasn't his power. It was a borrowed power, that one day, he would have to give up. It wouldn't be for a long, long time. Maybe when he was on his death bed, handing it off to his own successor. Or maybe it would be next week, when All Might just... Decided that he had found someone better to inherit the Quirk...

He didn't want to think like that. But... Was it selfish to not want to let go of this power? Did that make him a bad person? That he wanted to hold onto this power for as long as he could? Did that make him a selfish person? He just couldn't know. He had no idea...

 _"Remember what you said to Todoroki... 'It's your power'."_

They were powerful words that had made Izuku remember a few important things about One For All. About All Might... And about himself, too. Things that, when he started doubting himself, he just forgot to mention to himself to relax. Things that really just... Took the edge off, was the best way to describe it.

Really, it didn't matter that All Might had chosen him and not someone with a good Gigantification Quirk, or someone with a Quirk like Todoroki's. It had been All Might's choice to hand down this power to him, and he had had to accept it. Even if he had never wanted to be a Hero, to deny the wish that All Might had, to name him as the person who was to run with this amazing power… Those doubts that he felt, they still existed every single time he thought about his status in this world... He doubted they would ever fully go away. All he could do was bite the bullet and just keep moving forward, hoping that someday, he'd get to where he wanted to be.

Right now... That place he wanted to be... It was by Mina's side. And it surprised Izuku when he thought that. That his first thought wasn't that he wanted to be standing alongside his Hero, and protecting and saving people who needed saving with a smile. It was that he wanted to be next to Mina. Not even necessarily as Heroes. Like the now was just as good, not just the future.

Which just raised one more question...

...Why... Why had he fallen for Mina so badly?

His abilities to express his emotions were limited, even disregarding his fear that if he said he loved her to her, she'd leave him behind… But as for how he truly felt about her, when no one was able to listen to him, and he thought about her on his own… He loved her. He really, truly loved her. He loved her so much that he himself could hardly even stand it, and they were dating, for God's sake.

He'd never be able to express how much he loved her. She meant the world to him.

Of course he loved his girlfriend - Their relationship would not be a healthy one if Izuku didn't feel this way about her. Mina was a person who Izuku cared deeply, deeply for, who he thought about every day, and who he struggled to see himself without anymore. And at the same time, he had another struggle - The struggle of explaining just why. When he thought about that final question, there were a number of answers that ran through his mind, each of them seeming like a reasonable answer when he responded internally.

Mina was a kind person.

She was a cute girl.

Being around her made him happy.

She was funny.

He loved her because she was there with him, and she shared his desire for Heroism... They were reasons why he loved her... But they were definitive. They were aspects that they shared, and of course he loved her for all those reasons in addition... The truth was, it wasn't any of those things that caused this deep level of affection that he felt towards her. The depth of his feelings was something a lot more emotional. A lot more intimate.

Mina was the first person Izuku felt this way about. This deep, warm, almost instinctive feeling. It was the same one that enveloped him virtually every single day, whenever he saw, spoke, or even thought about his girlfriend. The air of familiarity and comfort, safety, warmth. She could simultaneously excite and relax him whenever the urge hit her, being as bombastic in her joy of making him blush as he was with his Heroic impulses. Izuku loved this girl to death...

And the reason was because... Well...

She had faith in him. She stood by him.

It sounded like a weak, pitiful reason for someone to fall this deeply in love, but it was the honest truth. Mina knew the truth about One For All, about his Quirkless origins, and about All Might's condition and aiding Izuku. He had been terrified of her reaction when he revealed all of this to her, but she had simply turned around and smiled, and told him that it didn't change anything. When he talked about his dream of becoming a Hero endlessly, she didn't tell him to stop, like he was so used to being told to in middle school. When he gushed about All Might and his favourite Heroes, he didn't get told that he wasn't good enough to be like them. He didn't get told to shut up.

His girlfriend... She sat there. She accepted all of these things about him, and she still loved him. To Izuku, that was the single most incredible thing about Mina. Growing up, he had been conditioned to accept that he was going to be abused like that. That it was part of the destiny that had had placed in front of him. But Mina didn't follow that trend. She accepted him for the person he was... She liked the person he was. Sometimes it was hard for Izuku to get his head around.

It made him was to kiss her.

To hold her.

Keep her close.

Feel her warmth.

Taste her lips.

Feel how soft and warm her skin was...

Every time they kissed, hugged, or just touched, Izuku noted just how it felt, just so he could remember later on. Just so he could relive it. He remembered it all. Even back when she had 'Forced herself' on him. The taste of her tongue, the soft feel of her breast... He remembered it. He'd never confess to it under normal circumstances, but he'd liked it. He would also, on very rare occasions admit to himself... He might slightly want to do that again. He'd _never_ say that to Mina in a thousand years. ...But it was true.

Now that he thought about it... There wasn't anything he disliked about Mina. She had her more intense traits, sure, but he did too. Everything about her, good and bad... It just felt so perfect. So good, so right. Like this had been meant to happen. Everything about her...

She was right. One For All was his power.

And he'd prove it. All this time, he'd always felt like he was proving himself to other people, to other concepts. Proving that he was worthy of succeeding All Might, proving that he could catch up to Bakugou, proving that he deserved his place here in Yuuei... He was constantly proving himself to others.

This time, he'd prove it for himself - That he deserved to wield One For All for himself.

* * *

As soon as the word 'Go' was uttered, Team Awkward Energy was away, already on the hunt for Ectoplasm clones that had intentionally put themselves into precarious locations, the aim to test their ability to save and serve as part of a team.

The first issue that they ran into was the fact that they had no way to determine where exactly those clones were located. The USJ was a large building, as it needed to be to house such a variety of environments to train the next generation of Heroes, but this worked against the two of them, as far too many places could be used as tricks to waste their time, hidden in as part of some kind of ambush, or and even the ones that were being used would no doubt be in the more precarious places that would waste their time anyway.

So locating the 'Injured Citizens' was the foremost priority. Then selecting which ones to save would be the next step.

The vast majority of them were going to be outside, Izuku thought to himself. It was as All Might said - While the majority of serious crimes and Villain activity occurred indoors, that meant that overall few people were going to be injured while in said confined spaces. Heroes were seen rescuing people mostly outdoors, because those indoor activities meant there were few civilians around.

Civilians were almost certainly never going to be hurt in those circumstances. Villains, the worst of the worst, wouldn't risk doing operations in the open, where all eyes were upon them. They'd do so indoors, and therefore, there would no civilians to notice. Villains who acted outdoors were usually thugs or idiots who acted without thinking, were in a panic, or for some other reason. Whatever the case though, those were where civilian lives would be at risk.

Mina had absolutely no way whatsoever of scanning an area for anyone who would be at risk. Her Quirk was totally useless for this sort of task. Her Quirk was useful for combat, or stealth, not even remotely close to being helpful when it came to this aspect of Heroism. When it came to scouting, Mina wasn't the best person. At all.

One For All, it was a powerful ability, of course, otherwise All Might wasn't going to have been able to become the world's number one Hero, and remain as such for so long, but it wasn't exactly grand for recognisance. It wasn't a good Quirk for scouting by default, although for someone who knew exactly what they were doing, again, like All Might, there wasn't much it wasn't good for. Izuku wasn't All Might though, so his abilities with it still needed refining.

In short, he wasn't the best scout right now. He'd need a lot of practice to figure out the best ways to go about rescuing civilians in this sort of scenario before he could claim to be an expert. Still, he had an idea that he could try at least, and it was better than nothing.

"I'll check around!" The green haired boy declared, sending One For All's power surging throughout his body with his Full Cowl technique, and leaping into the air as high as he could, leaving his girlfriend behind where she stood at the top of the steps to the USJ grounds. The timer was already counting down, so every second that they had given to them had to count for something, or they weren't going to be able to complete a single rescue.

Gone out of earshot before Mina, if she had wanted to, could voice a protest, she decided to make her own way down to the foot of the steps, activating her own Quirk from her feet, and utilizing the Acid-proof shoes that she had requested in her costume specifications. In doing so, she created what amounted to a surfboard made of corrosive liquid, only she could use it so skid down solid surfaces as though she were on a wave in the ocean, allowing gravity to pull her towards the ground at the bottom of the stairs far faster than if she had run down without the use of her powers.

It wasn't like she had much else she could do in her current situation, what with Izuku already charging off into action like he normally did. Her Quirk didn't let her follow suit, so she just decided to get herself into a more convenient situation. Keeping an eye on him as he propelled himself into the air with the sheer amounts of kinetic energy that One For All gave his Quirkless body, she had to remind herself to keep an eye on the rapidly approaching ground below her. A simply jump though, and she was fine, skimming along the surface below her like she were on a skateboard.

Someone could argue that her using her Quirk hadn't been totally necessary there, but to Mina's mind, there wasn't much reason having a Quirk if she wasn't going to use it.

Within a second of her having reached the ground, Izuku came falling down just afterwards. By utilizing his Quirk, he managed to avoid taking any damage that he otherwise would have suffered from crashing into the ground at the speed he had, using his powers almost like they were a crash pillow for him to land on. He landed on his right knee, his body naturally bending as the force followed him, before he re-postured himself, and turned around to face Mina.

"Over here!" He called, waving her over and already darting off in the direction he had spotted one of Ectoplasm's clones. This time, he didn't utilize his Quirk, so Mina could catch up with him. As the two were supposed to be working in a Team, he knew they had to stay close and work together if they had a hope of passing this initiation.

Mainly attributed to her own levels of physical fitness, Mina caught up within seconds, before she slowed down her running pace to what to her, amounted to a brisk jog alongside Izuku, and headed in the same direction as he was. "You saw one of Ectoplasm's clones this way, yeah?"

"Yeah!" Responded Izuku positively, him not taking his eyes off of his chosen destination, even as they made a run through the building. Picking up his speed without utilizing his Quirk, since Mina was clearly more than capable of keeping up with him, he broke into what was more a sprint than it was just a run anymore. "Underneath some rubble in the Ruins Zone!"

"Neat!" The pink skinned girl grinned, acknowledging Izuku's report and looking straight ahead to completing their objective.

Izuku on the other hand… He was more sceptical.

Yes, he'd been the one to spot the clone. Yes, he'd been the one return to Mina and inform her of where the clone was, and yes, he was now the person who was leading her towards that particular location. All of this was very true, and he accepted all of it readily, even as his mind raced at a thousand miles an hour.

But it seemed… To easy. Naturally, he knew Ectoplasm sensei was able to create thirty of his clones, thirty-four or more if he was in a good mood, or had practiced with his vocal cords or… Whatever peculiar trait it was that increased his ability to produce more clones. Regardless, it did in fact mean that with such a high number of clones scattered around the place, some were going to be more obvious and easy to spot than others were going to be able to be. Some would hide themselves exceptionally well, whereas others would be in the open, in more clear and obvious locations that anyone would be able to spot if they had a clear line of sight.

Those were the ones that, in spite of being the easiest to locate….

They would also be the most dangerous.

"Hey, Mina!" He called over to his girlfriend, catching her attention immediately. "Keep an eye out for the other students around this place! I think they'll try and launch a surprise attack on us!"

"What makes you say that?"

"This clone was really easy to spot – So if I could spot it, then the other Hero Team students would have been able to see it easily too, and they have more experience at this sort of thing that we do! Cones that are easy to find are easy for us to locate, but they're easy for them to find too, so that makes them good ambush targets! All they'd need to do is wait for us to run towards them!"

"…Like we're doing right now."

"…Yeah."

Not that they could stop, even if they wanted to. With such a short time frame to save as many as possible, even though they both knew that the chances of ambush were fairly high, there wasn't much that they could do about it. Flanking around and checking all the possible locations would kill way too much time, and as Heroes, they couldn't just leave a civilian in pain under a collection of rubble for that long anyway. Their job was to save the civilians as fast as possible – That was the mandate of any respectable Hero, regardless of the risks presented to themselves.

Even if it gave a Villain the advantage over the Hero… The Hero wasn't supposed to ever leave a Civilian in danger like that. Heroes put themselves on the line to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, not use them as bait to lure out Villains that might not even be there.

And that wasn't even the end of their problems.

On top of all of that, Izuku and Mina knew very little about the Hero Team students' Quirks. The only student that they had even the first clue about was the one that belonged to the albino-appearing Kuroshi, and the only indication that they got from his was that he had a fire based Quirk. It was something at least, but it didn't help them much, since they had no idea exactly how the Quirk worked. Did it just cause his hands to catch fire, or did it let him blast it off? If so, what were the limits and drawbacks?

This total lack information caused a huge number of issues for the two of them. Without any Intel on what they were up against regarding their opponent's abilities or Quirks, it meant that they couldn't develop a counter-strategy, something that was Izuku's main defence against any of his enemies.

The only thing that he had to work with was the fact that they were Hero Team students – Meaning that they had to value teamwork to a fairly large degree. But that also raised more questions – What sorts of strategies would they use? Would they rely on numbers, or attack one by one, wearing down their targets before moving in for the knockout? Would their Quirks complement one another, or would they be dichotomic opposites that contrasted and somehow became more effective as a result, like Todoroki's own hybrid Quirk? Would they use tag-team style tactics, or just rush them at the same time and use brute strength?

All these variables meant that Izuku would have to gather his information as they fought whoever showed up, and he'd just have to figure stuff out from there, and play it by ear.

Essentially, and simply put, they were possibly heading into an ambush that the other teams had quickly laid out, and were just waiting for them to fall into. Or just one person on their own.

It didn't honestly matter. As long as they had no information to work with, they had no counter-strategy….

Meaning that if they wanted to get anywhere, they just had to take the risk, and if they were ambushed, they just had to let that happen. Otherwise, they were going to spend this entire initiation in the dark, and they wouldn't be accepted into the classes.

"We need to figure out what sorts of Quirks the other teams have – I think we should just let them spring the ambush on us, so we can figure out at least a little bit of information about their Quirks!" Izuku explained his thinking, skidding to a stop behind a concrete slab as the two of them came on the verge of the Ruins Zone. The clone he had spotted was barely even ten meters away from their current location, and if they were to peek their heads out from behind cover, they would be very easily be able to spot it. "You hang back. If I get attacked, then you can flank around them and jump them from behind."

"This isn't your smartest plan, you know." Mina lightly joked, though she knew that it was the best he could do given such little information. This wasn't a battle against thugs that they could just figure out on the fly – This was against people who had formal, serious training, and were going to fight like they meant it. They had higher levels of education than they did, and more experience in working as direct teams. Without any sort of knowledge as to their opponent's tactics, they were basically looking at a guaranteed loss. "Okay, I've got you covered. Be careful."

Nodding, Izuku took a step from cover, and scanned the area quickly. He spotted no signs of anyone being around the place, so he made his way, quickly as he could, towards the clone of Ectoplasm. The clone said nothing, and barely even seemed to acknowledge that Izuku was there, which made sense. The clone was there to act as a civilian that needed to be rescued, not a teacher who was criticizing them for what they were doing wrong in this context. That wasn't what this session was about.

How the clone had even buried itself in this rubble in such a short span of time was a mystery to Izuku, but he didn't dwell on it. With speed, he ran up to the clone, and began doing what he could to dig out his target.

He had no idea where Mina had gone. In spite of her incredibly bright colour pallet, even without her Hero costume, she'd managed to camouflage herself easily into the backgrounds of dark and various greys that belonged to broken rubble and concrete. How she'd accomplished this, he honestly didn't know. Her Quirk would make her well suited to this sort of activity, of course, but it was actually pretty impressive that she'd managed to go ahead and do it, given her skin pigments, and how colourful her costume was. He was genuinely impressed.

Pulling on the limb clone, Izuku dragged the body of a man who was just under twice his size from the rubble it had clambered into itself. Part of him expected it to be booby trapped. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Well, that didn't take long."

There was the ambush though, he thought to himself.

His head rotated upwards about fifty degrees, to see none other than the pale skinned fire type Quirk user Kuroshi squatting just atop a pile of rubble that looked like it had formerly been a pillar of some kind, just a few meters above the green haired boy. At the tips of Kuroshi's fingers, fire danced like candlelight's in the wind, though he didn't seem to be controlling its movements at all, just letting them do their own thing.

Taking a proper look at Kuroshi's Hero costume, Izuku noted that he seemed to be a more practical sort of dresser than he was a show-off. He wore shorts and a tank-top vest, all pale in colours like his skin tone, presumably to evade constantly burning clothing with his Quirk. Unlike Todoroki, who now sued a full black-body suit as his costume which would regulate his temperature, Kuroshi seemed to forego this entirely. Perhaps him dressing light was his way of cooling off when his Quirk was used too much, though it felt unlikely, given that he was already casually creating flames at his fingertips.

One thing that Izuku was certain of though – He looked like he had been looking forward to this.

"You're that weird Strength Enhancement Type, right?" The albino boy questioned, standing upright now as he looked down on Izuku. His central heterochromic red eyes had mask wrapped around them, a darker scarlet, and in the shape of flames that reminded Izuku of Stain's scarf more than anything else. "Super Strength, but using it makes you break your bones… Your girlfriend's got Acid as her Quirk… You're an odd choice for a Hero Team, you know." Seeing Izuku's confused expression, Kuroshi explained how he knew all of this information about them. "Ah, right, I watched the first years during the sports festival match. You were up against the brainwashing dude in the tournament matches, and then the ice and fire dude. The pink girl went against the… Weird laser guy and the bird. Well, she at least tried to fight the bird, anyway."

His hand suddenly burst into flames again. Apparently, he just liked talking, and he never had any intentions of having a conversation with Izuku properly.

"Like I said, weird."

His right hand extended, and suddenly, he unleashed a huge blast of red-hot flames towards Izuku without restrain or restriction. The beam itself was no thicker than its users arm, though the speed at which it ignited and was shot out was something to be beheld. The power behind this Quirk wasn't something to be underestimated. How much training had he gone through to be able to produce flames of that power so quickly?

What happened next was what caught Izuku out though – Instead of charging directly at him and staying the course, the fire suddenly changed direction, altering trajectory like it were some sort of snake, and hit not Izuku himself – It was very careful and precise to avoid hitting him like that – But instead, totally singed the clone of Ectoplasm, reducing it to its most basic plasma form on the ground within seconds of making contact.

Meaning that this particular rescue had been a total failure. Not only that, it also guaranteed that they would lose at least one mark, since one of said marks was literally dead. Kuroshi grinned as white mist emerged from between his teeth. He was really getting into the role of the Villain.

Jumping back, Izuku quickly assessed what had just happened. "A Pyrokinetic Quirk!"

The fire changed course again, returning to Kuroshi as if it had been connected to him from the very start, and engulfing his arms in the warmth of its burning. Looking down at Izuku, Kuroshi gave him a smug grin. "Let's see if you can figure out my Quirk."

As he spoke however, his head turned to spot another attacker charging in – Mina, with a pool of Acid in her left hand, leaped over some of the rubble that had been in her way, and using Izuku and his interaction as a method of sneaking up without detection, Mina had managed to get close to the albino Second year without even being noticed.

Yet it didn't do her much good. Leaning off the side of his platform, and allowing himself to fall for just a quarter of a second, Kuroshi's Quirk then activated from the soles of his feet, propelling him and keeping him in the air, and, utilizing the combustion of his Quirk on his legs, spun around and delivered a sharp spinning-back-leg roundhouse-kick to the back of the neck, all in one fell swoop that had been far too quick to react to or get out of the way of without the power of precognition.

Kicking her off of the rubble and letting her fall, Kuroshi used his fire to keep himself floating in the air, before reclaiming his step atop the pillar he previously stood. He didn't even look to be mildly challenged, like he was only toying with the first years out of boredom, not a serious initiation test.

"Mina!" Leaping forward, Izuku reached out, and caught his girlfriend before she wound up falling, back first, onto the ground below. Catching her in his arms, he held her in the traditional bridal manner. Normally, this would cause him to blush, and Mina would tease him about it, but given their station, neither of them had the time or frame of mind to react s they normally would.

"Aaah…" Mina groaned, before looking at her boyfriend. Her hand made its way to the back of her head, rubbing the impact sight in an effort to nullify some of the pain. "Sorry… I thought I'd be able to sneak up on him."

"That was pathetic, if I'm totally honest." The fire using Quirk user sighed, another puff of mist leaving his mouth with his expulsion of air, and he started crouching down again. "That was like someone trying to sneak up on me while wrapped in a giant flag. I saw you coming a mile away. You're useless if you can't even figure out your Quirks optimal use. Never mind joining a Hero Team, you wouldn't even make a decent Hero, full stop."

"Mina's going to make an awesome Hero!" Izuku suddenly, and violently shot back, much to the surprise of Mina and Kuroshi both. Letting Mina get onto her own two feet on her own, Izuku started to smile himself. It was a wobbly smile, and it didn't look all that intimidating or reassuring, or anything else that a smile was supposed to do… But the fact that Izuku was even able to smile under these circumstances meant one thing.

He'd figured something out.

"She helped me figure out how your Quirk works."

"I did?" Mina blinked in surprise, looking towards Izuku for explanation.

"Yeah." Izuku nodded. "I got to see his attacks better because of you. He's got a fire type Quirk that lets him generate and manipulate fire. He has Pyrokinesis, if you want to look at it like that. He can generate it enough to propel himself against gravity, so that tells me that he's able to generate a large amount of force from his Quirk… And he seems to be able to generate it wherever he likes on his body, like your Acid Quirk."

"…But you already knew that, right?"

"I noticed something though." Izuku explained, pointing towards Kuroshi's mouth. The culprit still seeping from between his lips, Izuku still had his doubts, but he was more than willing to put money on this being the tell that his Quirk gave. "I noticed it before, but now I'm convinced that it's directly linked to his Quirk – It's that mist."

For a second, there was total silence, while Mina tried to figure out what the hell Izuku was even talking about. This sort of behaviour from Izuku, it certainly wasn't normal, and she had no idea what he was trying to accomplish, aside from maybe provoking his opponent. Whatever the case was, this didn't seem like the Izuku that she normally knew… But he had the observational skills and applicable knowledge that he did. It was odd, like she was watching someone who he was and wasn't merged into one, if that made sense.

He was either really, really confident… Or he had a plan here.

Kuroshi stared right back at Izuku, the red that surrounded his pupils seeming to glow a bit more bright against the white that surrounded it. The older Yuuei student didn't make any sort of movement whatsoever, like he'd become a statue.

"…Impressive." He suddenly grinned, standing upright. "Not a lot of people figure out that that's how my Quirk works just from the mist. Though you can cut the act, kid. You won't provoke me like that. I'm more than happy to tell you my Quirk now that you'd figured it out."

He still didn't remove his smile, not quite yet, but Izuku did seem to calm down at this affirmation that his guess had been correct. He let out a breath that he hadn't seemed aware that he'd been holding in, like he'd just bluffed his way to victory and hit the jackpot. "Considering your personality, I thought that might get you to flinch. I know someone a lot like you, and that would have made him lose his cool."

"I'm guessing the Explosion Boy. He seems pretty weak, emotionally speaking anyway." Chuckling, Kuroshi spoke louder. "You can't afford to be impulsive like that if you're going to be in a Hero Team. One person's desires don't outweigh anyone else's. You'll learn to have some impressive personal discipline if you pass the Initiation."

"What is going on?" Mina finally asked, looking at Izuku like he'd just started speaking German partway through the conversation. "You were trying to make him attack you?"

With a nod, Izuku confirmed that that had been his intention. "I thought if he did, it might confirm my theory about his Quirk if I saw it again… But He just admitted that my thinking is correct." Explained the normally nervous teenager. He let out a sigh, and his smile left his face, returning him back to the normal looking Izuku Midoriya that she knew. His ability to think quickly and bullshit his way out of messes was impressive to say the least, she'd give him that.

Had this grown from his time fighting Villains? Had his win against tall Might been a catalyst for some sudden growth? Was he proud of himself right now?...

Or was something else happening? He seemed to be… amazingly confident right now, which was insane, considering that less than an hour ago, he'd been expressing how doubtful he was about being the inheritor to All Might's almighty power. It felt inconsistent… Mina had every intention to ask him about it later.

"That mist that comes from his mouth when he uses his Quirk – Its condensation. When warm air meets with cold surfaces or air, it creates condensation, or vice-versa. Like when you open a freezer and all that mist comes out, the same thing happens to him whenever he uses his Quirk."

Grinning, Kuroshi activated his Quirk again, this time creating two fireballs that he allowed to hover in his palms. He didn't move or manipulate them to, nor were they poised to strike against the two first years. He actually looked like he was just offering visual aid to Izuku as he explained his Quirk.

"I think his Quirk requires him to exchange his body temperature when he wants to create that fire. Like Sato's Sugar Rush Quirk – He needs to use his internal body temperature as a fuel to activate his Quirk!"

"You got it." Kuroshi confessed. Holding the fireball up so it was clearer to see, he went into further detail. "My Quirk is called Pyrokinetic Degree. I can make and control fire, but every fireball I make, I give up one degree of my internal body temperature to make – That blast I shot at you and killed that clone with, that took a whole degree of my body temperature to make. My body temperature is about fifty degrees centigrade, so I get fifty shots of my Quirk before I reach freezing point. So I'm at about forty-seven degrees now. Although…" As he spoke, the fireballs he made suddenly increased in temperature, turning blue hot, and then white hot. "…If I give up more of my body temperature, I can create even hotter flames, that burn for longer, do more damage, and are a lot harder to avoid."

He then aimed at the two first years.

"And knowing how my Quirk works isn't going to help you avoid it!"

With that, he unleashed his attack.


	28. Strategy

"...So, Izuku, not that I'm complaining or anything, but this is like, the second time today you've carried me like this." Mina informed the green haired boy with a sly smile on her lips, that would have almost counted as seductive, were it not for the circumstances that they found themselves within.

With Mina picked up and held in Izuku's arms in the stereotypical bridal hold, through no effort of her own, Mina had found herself being whisked away by her boyfriend as Kuroshi's attacks had been hammering them with fireball after fireball, beams of flames, of every colour from red to blue to white in the colour spectrum that a fire could typically be.

They had, as far as she could tell, managed to escape their opponent. The attacks had stopped, and no-one else seemed to be around the place trying to attack them. Of course, they were only certain of this after doing a few scans, making sure that no one was lurking behind the shadows or rubble. They couldn't account for anyone who might have a Phasing Quirk, or anything like that, but there wasn't much they could do about that. Thankfully, someone with a Phasing Quirk wouldn't be able to do too much damage to them that they couldn't counter or avoid.

So they were safe. Hence Mina's flirting.

"Feels like you're trying to tell me something here." Teased the pink skinned girl. Since they had escaped the immediate danger, and to the best of her knowledge, Izuku wasn't planning some master strategy that involved standing perfectly still without moving in any way, she felt she could afford to at least play with him a bit.

To be perfectly honest, Mina thought this felt nice. The way that she was being held, it pulled her close to Izuku's body. It wasn't like it was a foreign feeling to her anymore, but it didn't change the fact that it felt genuinely nice. What she knew to be genuinely strong muscles felt soft right now, almost like pillows stuffed with cotton, since they weren't tense in any way. And it wasn't because he was knowing doing so, but the way he did hold her was kind. Soft. Gentle. Like he were holding something precious that he desired to protect, but understood that he needed to hold close to him.

Furthermore, the fact she was in her Hero Costume just aided the notion. Because of how her costume was one that revealed a fair amount of skin, and because Izuku's gloves were thin enough that he could still have the sensation of touch through them, they were able to transmit their warmth into her skin. Her legs and back were the main receptors to this. Of course she'd felt this warmth before - In more sensitive areas - Yet it still made her feel good.

The best way to put it was that it made her feel safe and comfortable. That was the effect Izuku had on her. He just made her feel warm and safe.

Although for his end, Izuku barely even had noticed he'd done this. Instinct had taken over when Kuroshi had launched a series of deadly blasts and attacks designed to either harm or scatter them, or just waste their time. Whatever his intentions had been, Izuku hadn't hesitated, or really even realized that he was doing it, but he'd leapt forward to grab Mina, picked her up, and hightailed it out of there with his Quirk as quickly as he could physically accomplish before they ended up being roasted by their attacker.

"...Oh." He said, blinking twice when he realized exactly what he was doing. He noticed that she was surprisingly light for someone her age and size. One would logically expect her to be heavier, but she was amazingly light, so much so that he'd barely even noticed her weight. Even more amazingly, he didn't even seem that embarrassed about what he'd done. The extent of his embarrassment seemed to be a slight red tint to his cheeks. "Sorry... I'll uh, let you stand now."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." Mina grinned. "It's kinda romantic. Like in the movies."

"...Which one?"

"...Eh, pretty much all of 'em."

In spite of her reluctance, and to a certain extent, disappointment, Mina was let go of, and helped onto her feet by her boyfriend, who was surprisingly calm for how close they had been in physical contact just seconds ago, already scanning around the area, looking around for whatever other targets might be hiding out there waiting to strike as they fumbled around for a few moments. He was like a man on a mission, which, technically speaking, he was, and so was she, though he seemed entirely focused on the mission at hand thus far. Like it was all that mattered.

Mina wasn't sure how she felt about that. To be honest, right now, it left her a little uncomfortable, and slightly concerned. She understood that they had a job to do if they wanted to be accepted into the Hero Team group, but usually, Izuku showed a bit more... Emotion, regardless of the situation.

"Uh... Hey, Izuku, you alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just thinking about what we should do now..." Explained the green haired boy, returning to his internal conclusions and calculations regarding what he knew about the task at hand.

Seeing Kuroshi's Quirk in action had been a very valuable scrap of intelligence that he'd desperately needed. It was something to go off of, and with it, he could at least begin to determine some of the other possibilities that existed with the other students, and their intentions. Kuroshi seemed to be acting rather arrogant, kind of like a ring leader more than anything else. He was confident in his abilities, and rightly so. His skills weren't something to be taken lightly, and his fighting style ranged from aggressive and dominating, to tactical and strategic.

His rather unique Quirk Pyrokinetic Degree made his attacks varied and unpredictable - The heat of such strikes being as much a risk as actually getting hit by the balls of fire. He certainly made the most out of each strike, as he really had to. The best way to describe his Quirk was to say it was like a gun. He had a certain amount of shots he could fire before he had to reload - Specifically, he had fifty shots by his own admission. When his body hit zero, he would have to begin to cycle again, taking time to allow his body to regain its natural temperature. Without temperature, he had no ammunition.

Unlike Todoroki, he had no thermoregulatory abilities. Whenever one side became too cold or too hot, Todoroki could use the opposing side to regulate himself from the negative effects. Kuroshi didn't seem to have that ability. Unlike Half-Cold-Half-Hot, Pyrokinetic Degree just spent up temperature to generate fireballs, not replenish his repertoire. Therefore, all he could do was unleash attack after attack, and then when he couldn't fire anymore, wait until he could start firing again. Based on Izuku's understanding of how he fought, he didn't seem to prioritize outright brute force, though he was certainly capable...

He seemed to have other priorities. Other ways he made sure that his targets weren't...

Other ways his targets weren't...

"Izuku?" Mina tapped at his shoulder a couple of times, and when that didn't work, she shook it. When he finally looked towards her, he saw an expression in her eyes that he didn't recall seeing in quite a while. One of unbridled concern, one that expressed just how worried she was right now.

By default, by nature, just by how Izuku was as a person, he tended to be very emoteful. He was extremely aware of the people around him, even when he went into his analytical modes, he usually was at least aware that people around him were interacting, or addressing him without having to resort to physical contact. But when he got like this, outside of his goals, he didn't really have much understanding for what was occurring around him outside his objective. This side of him, the one he very rarely let out, was the side of him where nearly everything about him that he knew himself went out the window. He grew more focused in certain tasks, attaining victory and besting his opponents. He grew more determined, pushing aside his more meek traits in favour of boosting his more assertive ones. He grew more violent and less peaceful.

He grew... More and more like Bakugou, now that he thought about it.

And Mina had no idea about this side of him. He kept it under lock and key, having grown a distaste to it himself. She hadn't even seen it before. How could she know about it? No wonder she looked so concerned right now. To her, for all she knew, someone had just used some sort of Possession type Quirk to possess and take over his body.

Taking a quick, but deep breath, Izuku looked over at Mina, and gave her a soft smile. "Sorry. I got kind of... Caught up in the moment there. I-I'm fine now."

"You call that getting caught up in the moment?" His girlfriend questioned, still wide eyed and unconvinced of his general health. "Dude, you were acting like a totally different person for a minute there. You were acting... Kinda like Bakugou... If he knew how to calm down for five seconds."

Credit where it was due, Izuku thought to himself, Mina's legendary ability to make jokes and remain generally upbeat, even in spite of her own clear worry and fear and when in a bad situation was something to respect, if nothing else. He couldn't blame her for her concern though. If Mina suddenly started acting like some sort of stoic joyless robot, he's have the exact same reaction.

Attempting to give her another reassuring smile, he attempted to push aside the incident, though he had little success. His smile seemed to give off more a sense of self-pity than it did a calming effect. Part of him did feel a certain level of shame for not informing her of his more abrasive side. Truth be told, he didn't even know what exactly had caused it right now. Kuroshi seemed to be similar to Bakugou in terms of his personality, so perhaps that had been what had triggered this intense desire to achieve victory against him.

It left him uncomfortable to even really think about. He didn't even particularly like this side of himself at the best of times…

"Sorry." Mina suddenly apologized, catching her boyfriend's attention. "I shouldn't've put you on the spot like that. You don't have to say anything about it if you don't want to."

"I…It's alright." Izuku assured her with a small exhale. Again, he understood why he had caused her such concern, and he felt the need to explain to her what exactly this quirk of his personality amounted to… when they weren't under a time limit. "I'll… I'll explain it to you after we're done here, if you want."

"It's your call, but if you wanna, sure thing."

With that, Izuku stepped forward, looking over the USJ environments. From where they were, he had a fairly clear view of the ruins of the Landslide Zone, where they had just fled from, the Flood Zone, the Collapsed Zone, and the Mountain Zone. Each of these zones had to be holding at least one Ectoplasm clone within their boundaries, and their job was to go in and rescue those clones like they were civilians.

The more Izuku thought about that though, the more curious he became regarding Kuroshi's methods of attack. As opposed to just blasting both him and the clone that he had saved, Kuroshi had specifically gone out of his way to ensure the clone was killed first. Doing so had essentially ruined their chances to gain a perfect 100% pass rate on the Initiation, lowering the maximum number of clones they could save down to twenty-nine.

Not that it was hard to see the logic in that particular methodology. The best way to prevent him and Mina from passing was to make sure that they couldn't save any of the clones… but he had waited specifically for the two of them to arrive before attacking. How he'd known that they were going to be over there… That was another thing that Izuku had to consider… But based on what he knew, they were awaiting them to go to a certain location, and only then begin taking out the clones…

If that was how they were doing things…

That was it. He'd got it!

"You're muttering up a storm there." Mina suddenly stated, patting her hand on his shoulder and snapping him out of his thought process. "You must've got something in mind."

Had he been murmuring subconsciously while he'd been thinking again? It was a bad habit of his that always embarrassed him whenever he got caught doing do. As per usual, his cheeks took on the accented red blush that came up whenever he because flustered or embarrassed. Still, he fought off the compulsive urge to apologize, and went straight for what he knew to be the more important detail.

"I-I think I've figured out what this Initiation is supposed to be testing about us." He stated. "They're trying to test us to see how many Civilians we can protect!"

"…Yeah, I'd kind of figured that out already." The Acid Quirk using girl looked at him, unimpressed, like he'd just said something ridiculously stupid. A small smile was on her face though, mainly because this amused her. She knew he had some sort of more in-depth idea as to what he was trying to imply, but his wording had been so poor he just made himself look like an idiot.

"N-No, I mean, think about it. Kuroshi only used his Quirk against the clone of Ectoplasm-sensei after we'd shown up. If he was trying to get rid of all the clones to make sure we couldn't pass at all, why didn't he just destroy it before we showed up? He only attacked once we'd arrived. And he specifically attacked the clone before he started trying to attack us. He made sure the clone was destroyed so we couldn't officially rescue it." Izuku explained. His eyes remained on the Landslide Zone one as he spoke of this, before they then turned towards the Collapsed Zone while he continued. "In other words, this isn't a free-for-all to kill the clones before we show up. This is a test to see if we can protect the civilians while being attacked on various sides by Villains. That's supposed to be a merit of Hero Teams – They can both fight Villains and rescue people at the same time by dividing their priorities between members.

And think about the word that they used to describe this activity. 'Initiation'. Not 'Entrance Examination'. This isn't like the Entrance Exams we took to actually get into Yuuei. That was designed to hunt for the people they felt had the most potential to be Heroes out of the thousands that applied to the school from our year. Essentially, they were looking for people who didn't have training, but had the most potential benefit from that training. But the word Initiation had a different implication. It's for people who know what they're doing, at least vaguely, to see how their progress had been coming along." He raised up one of his fingers in his hand, as he was listing off the points he was making. "Some Villains have to perform acts in order to join groups. I've heard that some of the really messed up ones require new members to cut themselves and give themselves a scar, or even kill someone before entry."

"So, what, you think this is like joining a freaking _cult_?"

"Not exactly… But you have to admit, there are similarities. The Hero Team group only has a few members, s they have to make sure the ones that they do add are capable to doing their jobs really well. Quality over quantity in this particular set of circumstances. This is so they can learn just what they're working with, and if they think we can make an effective Hero Team."

All of the logic was there, Mina did concede with a nod of her head. Her trust in Izuku outweighed any concerns that she might have had, or any feelings of doubt that she may have possessed. Did she think that they could get into the Hero Team group? If they worked together, she didn't doubt it. It was going to be difficult… But she felt they could do it.

She did have her question though. Things that she wasn't sure of regarding the exact nature of what they were up against.

"…What about how they knew where we were going to go?" She questioned. "You have an idea on that?"

"Maybe… This is just a guess..." Izuku stated firstly, so Mina understood he wasn't totally confident in his assumption. "…But I think one of the members of Kuroshi's team might have some sort of Clairvoyance Quirk, something that lets them monitor us and tell him and his team where we're going to go. Some sort of ability to monitor us. They're probably monitoring us right now." He shuddered at the thought himself, not exactly keen on the prospect of being watched while he did things, but he needed to confront the idea as a possibility.

Sharing in his discomfort, Mina shuddered as well. The idea of a Quirk that was designed just to view someone else from afar was… One that had some fairly messed up implications. It could be useful for a Hero, sure…

For some reason, she was imagining Mineta with that sort of Quirk.

And that made her immensely uncomfortable.

"So… If they have got some sort of Tracking Quirk, they know we're here, but they haven't come to attack us… That just strengthens your theory." She pointed out, now staring at the same Zone as he was. Something told her that he had a plan to locate some of the clones within the City Zone next. "You have a plan?"

"I have an idea…" Izuku said, slowly, before he turned towards his girlfriend. "How good would you say you are at fighting people off?"

* * *

Two long, sharp, and disturbingly long samurai-like blades were drawn from their individual sheaths. The user of these weapons was a second year student, who was a female with long, purple hair that reached down to the waistline. Mina had caught that this particular student had the Hero name 'Legacy', judging by how often she ranted on about the legacy that people kept leaving behind and how their pasts affected the future of today.

Izuku's plan was really rather simple – One For All was a Strength Enhancement Quirk, and with that, he was far and away, the best person to get these Clones back to the rescue point. He could use his Quirk, leap into the air, and dash across the rooftops, back to the entrance, drop the clones off there, and then get back to the fight within a couple of minutes. Without using their Quirks, getting just one clone back to the 'Safe Zone' would take a hell of a long time, which would have left their only other option to be to hoard clones around and protect them all like they were some sort of farm animal, making it incredibly difficult to defend all of them, and lowering their overall capabilities.

But that did leave Mina on her own, to face any of the opponents that she came into contact with totally on her own. Of course, Mina had agreed to fight in this particular manner, but it wasn't the idea situation. These were people with at least a year or two's experience on her, and they were making their abilities known, clear as crystal.

Right now, she was against two targets, one of them the female Hero in training Legacy, and another one, who was also a second year, and one of the people in Legacy's Hero Team. That one was going by the name Oversight, based on his Quirk. Izuku had been right. That one them _did_ have a Clairvoyance Quirk – It let him observe events that were happening in real time, even if he as a large distance away.

Legacy on the other hand possessed an odd Quirk. She called it Psychometry, and how she claimed that it worked was that when she touched an object, it allowed her to see in to that particular objects past. From that, she was able to learn all sorts of information about said object, and even the techniques used by the previous users of those objects. With added skill, she had been able to add her own spin onto particular fighting styles.

Hence the giant, sharp, deadly freaking samurai swords. Owned originally by a master before Quirks had ever developed, and then refined and reinforced by the benefits of modern science and technological advancement, she now had hold of two durable, deadly killing devices. Of course, she had both a blunt side and a sharp side, and she claimed to be using the blunt side of the blade so she wouldn't end up killing Mina, but that wasn't the greatest reassurance.

They could still knock her out. Especially if she was getting fighting abilities from a master samurai from the past.

"We're gonna need to hurry this up, Legacy." Oversight informed her, drawing two weapons of his own – A set of nun-chucks. While he spoke, his left eye glowed a bright green colour, indication of his active Quirk. "That Strength Enhancer is headed back over here. He won't be more than two minutes, tops."

"Let's make certain he just finds a relic of a partner then." The purple haired girl agreed, preparing her stance. One of the swords that she had hold of was being help upright, towards the sky – The other down towards the ground, upside down in a certain way. Like how one would hold a downwards knife, only with a sword.

An oddity with their Quirks in particular, that gave Mina an advantage, was that they weren't exactly combat orientated abilities. Unlike hers, which she had, and could use to generate Acid to attack with, their Quirks relied on the influence of things outside their control. Clairvoyance only allowed its user to observe, not really do much else. This meant that the user had to be profound in martial arts and object weaponry to even have a chance at fighting, while Psychometry relied on objects being used frequently in the past. Without objects, neither of these two were particularly powerful.

Mina could fight without the need of equipment and items. These two weren't able to do that.

Readying her Acid in her palms, Mina got ready to hold off her opponents – All she needed to do was to keep them distracted for about sixty seconds, and then Izuku would be here, and they could run for it. They had already cleared out most of the clones in this area, and Mina had been acting as the bait to keep them from attacking Izuku as they had gone along, throwing attacks their way and making sure that Izuku was able to get away with the 'Civilians' while she kept the 'Villains' preoccupied. This marked their sixth rescued clone.

Now, she just needed to stay here so Izuku could find her easily, and then, they could get the hell out of this zone and make a mad rush for another one. Hopefully loosing these two in the process, but that seemed unlikely. Not with that Clairvoyance Quirk.

Without warning, Legacy and Oversight charged at her, both aiming to attack her at the same time. Mina jumped back into a fighting pose, and threw a handful of her Acid towards the pair of them. It missed both completely, so with her other hand, Mina generated a larger concentration of her Acid, and launched the collection of dangerous liquids directly at the floor in front of her, creating a small section in front of her that her opponents would end up stepping in and damaging themselves on if they didn't slow down and try to evade.

It gained her absolutely no time though. Oversight had to stop, though since his momentum hadn't picked up enough to make a leap over. A part curly large amount of Acid had landed in front of him, and his instincts had demanded that he stop and take the safe way around.

Legacy didn't have any of this though. Without missing a beat, she had leaped right over the bubbling ooze that came from Mina's Acid like it wasn't even there, and came tumbling down to the ground, swinging her blades towards the pink girl like she was trying to slice her to ribbons.

Her reflexes kicking in, Mina jumped back away from the incoming blades, giving her a few seconds of respite before she was being swung at again. A left swing with the right sword, she ducked, an attack to the head, she stepped back, one aimed at the ribs, she side stepped, and one that tried to take out her leg, she countered by using her opposing leg to strike her opponents hands, knocking one sword from her palms.

Instantly, however, she had to avoid getting sliced open by the one sword she hadn't been able to get rid of. A wide swing that was aimed at her head gave her the opening she needed. With her right leg, she launched a solid side-kick to the purple haired girl's ribs, dead centre. Mina's own physical abilities weren't anything to be taken lightly. Even without her Quirk, she could still hit like a runaway train. And her opponent realized that the second her strike hit her. Knocking her back, totally breathless, and robbing her of her oxygen.

The second Legacy was away from her though, Oversight came charging in, swinging his weapons like some sort of Kung-Fu master like in the movies.

Nun-Chucks began to fly all around Mina as attack after attack rapidly began to make itself known around her. With Acid in both her hands, and reflexes kicking in, Mina began to dodge and attempt to throw counter attacks however she could, aiming to damage the weapons with her Acid - Not wanting to _kill_ her opponent, just to disarm him. The speed that Oversight was capable of was incredible, to the point that someone could mistake his Quirk for being a Speed Enhancement type. It took every single bit of her energy, and every split-second that her nerves were able to send signals to her body to evade and dodge attacks.

She pushed back on the ground with her feet just to get some distance from the guy before he ended up knocking her out. Backpedalling away from her attacker, Mina generated more and more Acid all over her arms, and threw a huge cascade of the deadly liquid over a huge widespread area, the Acid not deadly enough to seriously permanently damage the guy – But certainly enough to erode the metal of what he was holding.

Shielding himself with his entire arm, Oversight protected his face and his eyes from to falling of specially crafted Acid that fell onto him far faster than he was able to react to. The Acid hit him, and while it caused him irritant pain, it didn't seriously injure him in any way. Unfortunately for him, his weapons were not graced with the same luxury. Eroding away at speed, Oversight was quickly left with nothing more than shrapnel of his former weapon in his palms.

It was a short lived victory though. From the very corner of her eye, Mina turned her head to see the Pyrokinetic Degree Quirk user Kuroshi, blasting her way towards her.

"There you are!"

With a ridiculously Bakugou-like method for gaining propulsion, his left hand behind him and blasting out flames like a jet to give him increased speed. On the other hand, literally, Kuroshi was reaching out towards Mina with his right hand, totally encased in flames. With the aim to grasp at her arm with a hand that was skin to the surface of the sun, emitting scorching heat and bee-lined straight towards her.

An effort to deflect the incoming attack, Mina attempted to coat her arm within Acid, but there wasn't even a chance for her to do so. Kuroshi was far too quick –

"Kuroshi, above!"

Instantly, a green blur blasted right down between the pink girl and the albino, and without any sort of warning in the moment, all it took was a carefully placed shove in a particular part of his none-flame engulfed arm, and Kuroshi was suddenly thrown off his course entirely, by just a few short degrees that left his darting down a pathway that narrowly missed both Mina, and the recently arrived Izuku, whom had kicked him off path.

All within the space of less than a second again, Mina found herself being whisked away from the conflict in a bridal-style hold – For the third time that day.

When they escaped, she called her boyfriend out on it.

"I'm starting to think that you really like carrying me like that." She commented, once they had landed and safely arrived on one of the nearby buildings, out of the reach of their opponents, and although they were almost certainly being watched due to that Clairvoyance Quirk, it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. There was no way to hide their location and plans from their enemies, so worrying about it was pointless.

"It… Has its perks." Izuku smiled lightly, though he was still blushing, failing to hide it effectively from the Acid Quirk user.

"I'll make sure to harass you about those perks later." Joked the slightly younger girl, with every intention of questioning him about what he deemed to being a perk of carrying her like that, though that wasn't what was important right at this exact moment. "How many clones didja save? It was like, six, right?"

"Eight." Corrected Izuku, running his hand across his forehead and green and black hair. "I saw another clone on my way back with the seventh and 'rescued' that one as well. That's why it took me a while to get back to you." Wiping the sweat from his skin, he gave Mina a pleased smile. "You looked like you were doing awesome before I showed up."

She'd been able to hold off multiple opponents on her own while Izuku had been rescuing clones for the task – She felt like she'd done an awesome job herself. She was exhausted, and her Quirk was reaching its limits, stinging his slightly all over her arms, but her abilities had granted Izuku all the time he'd needed to score them the points.

"How much time do you think we have left?" She asked, taking the moment to just sit down on the edge of the building, to just get a few seconds of rest before they had to hit the grindstone again. She'd been fighting off opponents, running around, leading them on wild goose chases for God knew how long anymore. She just needed to take a few seconds to regain some energy.

"We're probably down to the last five minutes or so." Guessed Izuku, taking a deep breath himself. "And we've only saved eight out of thirty clones… That's not a really good score…"

"Hey, that's nearly a third. That's not bad."

"I-I don't really think that would go down too well if we were actual Heroes…"

* * *

 **I actually have the rest of Awkward Energy planned out – Until a certain point, anyway. If I stop at that point or not depends on just how much you guys are enjoying it, or if Kohei decides to give me more to work with (Because let's be honest, the current arc isn't the best, and it's given me absolutely nothing to work with.) What ideas I DO have I'm confident will be amazing fun for you guys – I know I get worked up just thinking about them.**

 **Maybe I'll do a sequel featuring them in their second year.**

 **Maybe I'll keep going and just come up with some stuff.**

 **I don't know yet. So while I wouldn't normally ask this kind of thing, if you could let me know what you would like, and that interest is still up in this story, I would appreciate it. Leave a review or comment, vote or kudos the work, follow it, share it, even PM me, whatever – As long as I know that you guys are still enjoying this story as much as I am making it, I'll figure something out.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time ^_^**


	29. The True Answer

What could they do inside five minutes?

Izuku had to rattle his head as hard as he could, trying to think of some sort of grand scheme that he and Mina could use to try and sweep the place to save as many Ectoplasm clones as quickly as they possibly could, though he wasn't coming up with too many ideas. The time that they had lost at the beginning of the test had cost them in hindsight, leaving them with a huge disadvantage.

With only eight clones rescued, they had less than a third of the clones rescued, which wasn't going to look good in any way for them. The fact of the matter was, cold mathematics was going to be a huge part in what their results were going to be, so unless they somehow managed to find a way to save about three clones in five minutes, he and Mina could pretty much just say goodbye to their desire to become a Hero Team.

If he really looked at this from a cold, objective stance… He was beginning to doubt that they would be able to pull this off.

He was still going to try and fight like hell to prove himself wrong, of course, but he wasn't going to hold his breath for it, either. Unless there was some kind of secret twist for this particular initiation, like Aizawa-sensei had pulled for the final test of the semester, then they didn't have a whole lot of hope left.

Again though, it was going to take a lot more than that to make Izuku give up. Mina agreed with him from a philosophical stance, and was going to keep helping him fight until the final bell rang, but she was being as realistic with their chances as she knew they had to be.

"There's no way we're gonna pull this off, is there?" The Acid Quirk user lamented with a small sigh, though she didn't sound too upset. She might have been on board with the Hero Team idea, but this had been Izuku's suggestion at first. Sure, she'd like to pass, but not doing so wasn't going to be the end of the world for her.

"I'm trying to think of some sort of strategy…." Izuku muttered, tugging as the green stands he had in his hair, hoping that if he pulled on his head enough, it would in some way make an idea come to life within his head. "But I can't. If we just had some more time or something I might be able to come up with some sort of rescue strategy, but I'm not sure if we can pull this off with how little time we actually have left…"

"Didn't think so." Mina joked at their expense, though it wasn't that funny. "So, what's the plan? Go out in a blaze of glory?"

"There has to be something…."

"You have a freaking Clairvoyance Quirk, Mitoshi, you can literally observe areas that you aren't present in!"

What sounded like frustrated yelling and arguing below the pair of them, Izuku and Mina suddenly felt themselves jump at the sound of their enemies, whichever ones they had this time. The loudest of voices didn't even need a second to be processed – It belonged to Kuroshi.

Both the first year students looked towards one another, and then dropped down into a crouching position, so they would be harder to spot, and then made their way over to the edge of the roof, to peek over the side and see if they could get some kind of visual on the targets that they were nearest to.

Sure enough, Kuroshi was with Oversight and Legacy, and now, along for the side, was the feathery person that Mina had bothered during their time within the Hero Team meeting room. If they were all part of one big Hero team, or two smaller ones, or whatever, neither the First years had any way of knowing. All they were now aware of was an enemy force which outnumbered them by twice their own size.

"Yeah, that'll help when every building in the entire freakin' USJ looks the exact same." The one that Mina had remembered as Oversight responded with the height of sarcasm. "Let's see, I'm looking at them right now, what do I see? Grey, square, rooftops around more grey, square rooftops. That should narrow it down to the entire damn Conflagration Zone!"

The mention that Oversight was literally watching the pair of them as they spoke did freak the pair of them out, but both were careful not to show it in any particular ways, otherwise the Clairvoyance Quirk user would see that they were close enough to react to their words.

"They're looking down from a rooftop. Guess they're scouting for us."

"How the hell did you even get into Yuuei, never mind as a recommended student?" Kuroshi sighed with irritation.

"Watch yourself, Freezerburn." Snapped Oversight, referring to Kuroshi, presumably by his chosen Hero name.

"Shinri." The albino-appearing teenager turned to face Legacy, further displaying his apparent disregard for Hero names or aliases, preferring to simply refer to people by their actual names. "Use your Quirk. See if you can find them."

Without another word, Legacy fell onto her knees, and placed her palms on the ground for a few seconds, activating her Quirk to read the past of the area around them, to determine the whereabouts of their targets. Following their movements from where they last were in their previous fight, Legacy scanned through the most recent events at the USJ, until –

"You're gonna get a kick outta this." She said, with a smile on her face. "Trust me, this is a good'n."

Kuroshi and the feathery person both leaned in with faces that displayed total lack of amusement.

As a response, Legacy simply pointed upwards. When the two older students followed the direction that her finger was pointed in…

Izuku and Mina both froze in place for a moment. That Psychometry had just royally screwed them over!

"Ha, yeah, that is good. Now that's how you get in as a recommended student." Kuroshi grinned, already generating flames between his fingers, a small strand of flame bursting through his hair as well. He made eye-to-eye contact with Izuku, having chosen the one he wanted to take on instantly, his actions earlier having spiked the Pyrokinetic Degree Quirk user's interest. "Feza, kill the hostage clone! Keep them from getting the point!"

"On it!"

Leaping down without any hesitation, Izuku activated One For All as he fell, enwrapping himself in the defence and power that was his Full cowl technique. He knew that realistically, saving one clone wasn't going to increase their score that much, and overall it wouldn't change much of an outcome, but he still wanted to try – He still wanted to give this his big, final attempt. Even if there was no clone down there, he still felt like he had to put up a fight until the very end.

Why they even had a hostage clone, Izuku had no idea - Probably to use as a shield form sneak attacks. Not that it mattered. He was going to save it!

The second he landed, he noticed in the corner of his eyes, that the feathery students known as Feza had indeed darted just underneath the line of sight of the building they were on top of, and had an Ectoplasm clone tossed carelessly aside like a pile of trash which he had just picked up. His Quirk activating, Feza's feathers seemed to stand on edge, sharpening themselves to a knife's edge – Some sort of sharpening, Transformation type Quirk.

Leaping towards the Feather Edge Quirk user, Izuku launched a 5% right hook to the side of Feza's face, not only causing him to drop the clone altogether, but also causing him to start shooting away from the rest of the combatants as he was blasted straight into a wall about fifteen meters away. Normally, One For All didn't have that much of a kick into it, but the fact that Izuku had launched himself towards the target had given him a nice boost in kinetic energy to push his target backwards, granting him even more power than he would normally have had.

It also helped that, compared to the others, Feza was particularly light-weight. With adaptations like feathers, overall more so than Fumikage, his bones were lighter, which meant that less force still had a bigger impact than most attacks Izuku threw out.

Such a display of raw strength did have Kuroshi surprised for a moment – He had assumed that Izuku had some kind of leaping Quirk when he saw that the main plan he had throughout this entire initiation was him leaping away from battle to keep both himself and his partner safe, as well as return any Ectoplasm clones to the safe zone. To learn he was actually working with a strength Enhancement type…

"This is gonna be a lot more fun that I thought." He declared, generating more and more flames into his palms. As his body temperature gave up more and more heat to fuel his flames, Kuroshi began to exhale condensation, the white mist that he expelled as his body cooled. The grin on his face however indicated a total lack of care. Ear to ear, Kuroshi was already having plenty of fun with this situation, and he showed only an eagerness to start to fight. "Mitoshi, you go check on Feza – This Strength Enhancement type is mine."

"What should I do?" Legacy questioned, already drawing her ancient blades from their sheathes.

As she spoke however, Mina began to make herself known to her opponents, using her Quirk to slide down the side of the building. She had grabbed onto the edge of the building as she allowed her body to hang there, and has used her Acid to melt her platform in her hand, which brought her down to the ground at a reasonably fast, but not at all dangerous speed.

"Take pinky over there. Keep her at arm's length."

Though she wasn't sure if that was a reference to her Hero name, or her skin colour – Probably the latter – Mina already felt irked by it. Like she was being taunted. Were Izuku not already about to fight the Pyrokinetic, she would probably try to attack him herself, though she had another target to worry about. Pooling Acid into her palms, and secreting some along her exposed arms, she prepared herself to her shortly-awaited rematch against the Psychometry Quirk user.

Izuku edged closer towards Kuroshi, making sure that he kept his body between him, and the Ectoplasm clone currently feigning being unconscious. By keeping his body in-between them, he was able to shield the clone by taking the hit for it. It'd mess him up, but he doubted Kuroshi would launch a serious barrage of blazes. And if he did – He could already try and counter with One For All.

Though he doubted that it'd do him a lot of good.

"I got a quick question for you…. Whatever your name is." Kuroshi stated, though his confidence seemed to temporarily slip when he was trying to figure out if he'd heard Izuku's name before.

"It's Deku." Izuku responded with his Hero name. He had noticed that Kuroshi seemed to refer to people by their given names, not their Hero ones. Since he didn't know Kuroshi whatsoever, and given they were in the middle of a fight, he didn't feel like giving him his actual name. A small, insignificant act of defiance.

"Right, Deku, quick question – You do know I can manipulate fire, right? I can actually control where I move the fire I make - "

As he was speaking. However, Izuku had already activated One For All Full Cowl, and launched himself towards Kuroshi – He was totally aware how Kuroshi's Quirk worked, and he knew that stopping him before he could generate and manipulate any sort of time was going to make the difference between victory or failure here.

So, as he shot towards the Pyrokinetic Degree Quirk user, catching him by surprise, he launched a solid 5% strike into Kuroshi's left shoulder, knocking out and fire that he previously had in either of his hands, and knocking him back slightly.

"You little – " Kuroshi responded quickly after his recovery, encasing his foot in fire and launching a sweeping roundhouse kick aimed at Izuku's head. " – Burn!"

Blocking the kick was out of the question – All he'd need to do was make contact with this guy, and he'd end up with a nasty burn. Instead, Izuku used One For All to leap into the air, just out of the range of Kuroshi's leg, before allowing gravity to drag him down back towards his opponent, with a downwards punch attack of his own. By using the fire he made to propel himself back, Kuroshi dodged, though it was by a slim margin.

Using more flames to act as a propellant, the Pyrokinetic blasted concentrated fire from the soles of his feet, and swung around Izuku's side, launching another kick, this time one that lack any fire of it towards the green haired boy. Izuku used his forearms as a shield, but quickly pulled back when he noticed that Kuroshi's plan there had been to trick him into thinking he was safe to block in the heat of the moment, before he'd had time to think, and to then ignite the fire on his legs as a melee attacking method.

It hadn't worked though. Izuku had quickly realized his mistake, and backed away, before any repercussions were able to make themselves known.

"Hah! Not bad." Kuroshi complimented, glancing to either side of him, making his next set of targets known. "You're pretty good. Better than some other Strength Enhancement Types I know."

Though it took every single bit of Izuku's strength to keep up with this guy, he was impressed with his own abilities right now. He was managing to keep up with a second year with a Quirk like Kuroshi's!

It was taking everything he had, but he was doing it!

He could really, really fight!

"There's an issue with a lot of you Strength Enhancement types though." Kuroshi said, palming flames into both of his hands. Quickly, his arms shot up – One towards the Ectoplasm clone, and one towards Mina, still battling with Legacy, and unable to see Kuroshi aiming his attack at her. "You can't be in two places at once!"

One hand aimed at the Ectoplasm clone – No, not a clone. A civilian.

One hand aimed at Mina, who wasn't able to protect herself.

A Civilian, and a Hero was couldn't stop the attack from coming towards them.

Suddenly, to Izuku, Aizawa's words came back to him. The words he'd used when he first suggested that they try their hands at becoming a Hero team together.

" _Say you have a Villain or a criminal with two guns, one aimed at a civilian, and one aimed at Ashido. You can only save one before the criminal pulls the trigger of both weapons. Which one do you save?"_

That was what this situation was right now, only instead of guns, it was a Pyrokinetic.

Impulse wanted to strike Izuku, and move to protect Mina. The clone, the civilian, they didn't matter. They were another one on the list, something that could be recreated again and again and again, a nameless object that had no value to him. But Mina… Mina was what mattered…

But he stopped himself. What he had just thought… That wasn't Heroic at all. That was selfish… In fact, that went against every single rule of what a Hero was supposed to be. Selfless, heroic, rescuing people who had no names or faces or meaning to them, because it was the right thing to do. To act on one's own desires… That was what a Villain did.

That was why Heroes existed. To stop people who thought like that. The Heroes creed virtually demanded that Izuku save the clone, and let Mina deal with the consequences for not being totally aware of her surroundings.

But that wasn't Heroic either…

There was no way to win. No way to be a real Hero in this situation. No real way to achieve victories on both fronts -

Until an action came into his head that he didn't even need a second longer to think about.

He didn't save Mina.

Nor did he save the civilian.

Neither of those were the correct answer. He'd been led to believe that there was a correct answer in this situation, but in truth, there wasn't. At least, not with the options that had been presented to him. That had been another one of Aizawa's 'logical ruses', there was no doubt in Izuku's mind anymore.

Had that Villain with those guns pulled the triggers, then he would have to choose one to save, and that was a choice that no one could begrudge him to make… Hero or civilian, a person would act purely on instinct, and no one could blame them for the choice they made there…

But the Villain hadn't. Aizawa had never said that the Villain _had_ pulled the trigger – Just that they were _going_ to.

Like Kuroshi was _going_ to unleash a blast of flames at both Mina and the Ectoplasm clone.

And there was a way to stop both of them from suffering.

With adrenaline and One For all powering every muscle that he had in his body, Izuku leaped towards Kuroshi at speeds so fast that his target only had a split second to know what was happening to him. Swinging his right arm with as much speed as was possible with his own abilities, and his Quirk, Izuku slammed a solid Detroit Smash right into Kuroshi's chest, blasting him backwards about twenty meters, smashing into a wall so hard, the wall cracked on impact.

The correct choice wasn't to save either of the Villain's targets.

The correct choice was to take out the Villain before they could hurt anyone.

"Argh…" Kuroshi groaned, though his fire did not extinguish. As he fell to the ground when he bounced off the wall, he let out a series of sharp coughs, before he looked towards Izuku again, his entire body now engulfed in flames. Despite the pain he was in, and despite being flawed, Kuroshi was able to give off that same, wide, toothy grin that made Izuku remember Katsuki's attitude to combat and personality. Only this time, he'd been the victory. "Now you're getting the idea, Deku!" Blasting flames behind him to launch himself into another attack, the Pyrokinetic yelled loudly, his hands engulfed in white hot fire that he prepared to shoot Izuku with, "Come at me!"

Feeling a tug at his lips himself, Izuku kept One For All activated, and got himself into a fighting stance, ready to counter the impact that would come when his enemy met him headfirst in the field of battle. Preparing to unleash one of his Oregon smash attacks as soon as Kuroshi got into range –

" _AND THAT MAKES THIRTY MINUTES! YOUR TIME IS UP!_ " A loud call on the USJ speaker system announced the sudden end of the initiation, to the surprised of all the students currently in combat.

Winding down his attacks, Kuroshi fell towards the ground, wiping a cold sweat from his brow, as he let out another sigh of condensation. Legacy immediately backed off from Mina, and retracted her blades.

Mina and Izuku however, stopped, their attacks still at the ready, and exchanged glances.

They'd run out of time.

* * *

"It was an impressive display, that much can be said." Ectoplasm said to the young aspiring Hero Team. "I was able to watch everything that you did through my clones, and you were able to perform admirably."

The pair of them had been waiting for about ten minutes after the test was over and they'd made their way back to the entrance. As they had waited, Ectoplasm-sensei had been conversing with the students, wanting their opinions on how they were able to perform. Apparently it was a custom of the Hero Team class to give their own thoughts on the new entries, to see if they were going to be good candidates for the Hero Team group.

Teammates needed to be sure about one another, after all. That was the reasoning behind it.

In a way, that made it worse. The knowledge that their fate was in the hands of people they had just fought against…

"We… We weren't able to save a lot of your clones." Izuku said, sadly. It was true though. Eight out of thirty was a miniscule amount of people in the grand scheme of things.

"Eight is better than zero. If you find yourself in a situation where you can't save everyone, you have to just make sure to save those you can." Ectoplasm said, looking over the results he had on his clipboard. "That's the job of a Hero. To protect the ones that we can, and as many as we can."

Not even All Might was able to rescue everyone. He'd said so himself to his green haired and eyed protégé when asked. Even the number one Hero on this earth wasn't a God. He couldn't save every person under the sun, try as he might.

But even so… He set the standard for Heroes in the current age.

And Izuku and Mina hadn't even come close. And they had tried their absolute best.

"Kuroshi and Mitoshi both noted that you have excellent teamwork abilities, though you both are inexperienced in working in groups on a permanent basis." Continued the Pro-Hero. "The way the pair of you act is to be expected in groups that work together on a temporary basis, from differing agencies. That is what we teach in the Hero course here, yes, but it's not exactly what is searched for in this group."

They had done their best…

"I'm particularly impressed with your work, Midoriya." Ectoplasm suddenly said, catching Izuku's total attention. "You showed the skill of a real leader in the field, and you were able to simultaneously protect both one of my clones and Ashido from Kuroshi's attacks."

Mina suddenly turned to Izuku, a quirked eyebrow raised above a black sclera. "Wait, you did what now?" Noticing that Ectoplasm wanted to keep going however, she changed her question. "Explain to me later, yeah?"

"Ashido, your combat abilities are to be commended." The Clone Quirk user said, scanning his eyes over what she assumed to be notes he had been taking during the initiation. "You were able to act as a distraction for Midoriya while he rescued multiple clones. A high-risk, high-reward strategy that paid off for you and your partner."

"Thanks, sensei."

"But now, the verdict."

Both the first years froze. Mina's hand found her way into Izuku's, and this time, he neither froze, nor looked at her, nor went red in the face. He simply accepted it, and squeezed her hand back.

"Eight out of thirty clones were rescued… As I said, you can only save those that you can, but these numbers are very small, and leave much to be desired. Of course, based on the ones you saved, you were efficient at your actions. It seems that the time you lost figuring out your opponents capabilities is what cost you ultimately, as well as running into the opponents you had at the end. Were it not for these factors, it is possible that you would have been able to save a lot more 'Civilians'. Your teamwork was excellent, and there isn't any doubt that you have potential…" Handing the pair his clipboard, Ectoplasm allowed them to see their final result. "Here."

Izuku was the one who took hold of the board, and together, they both looked for their mark.

Forty-nine out of One hundred. Failure.

"Unfortunately, you were just a few points off of victory. The small number of clones that you were able to rescue was the main reason for your failing."

Mina's hand fell out of Izuku's as she let out a hard, loud sigh, and Izuku just looked at the score with wide eyed disappointment. Neither of them were particularly surprised…. But they had at least held onto a little glimmer of hope that they would be able to scrape by and pass.

The pair of them had given their all, and failed.

Neither of them felt bad about it. They were upset, sure… But they had done their absolute best, and there wasn't much more than that that could be done. They had tried.

They had failed, but they had tried. This wasn't like the End Of Semester Exam. This wasn't a matter of victory or despair. It was a case of trying their best, and failing at something that, in the end, didn't entirely matter.

"It is my belief, however, that with more training and refinement, you two will make an excellent Hero Team." Ectoplasm said, once they had accepted the information. "As such, the pair of you are allowed to take the initiation test once again as soon as you both feel ready. Just be aware that you can only do this once per term."

Looking at one another again, Izuku and Mina nodded. "Yes sir."

"Hey, Deku!"

Appearing from behind of them, and gifting Izuku with a big slap on the back, Kuroshi made his presence known. Before any responses were given, he wrapped his arm around Izuku's head like he were pulling him into a headlock. He grinned at the two of them, offering them smiles that weren't from combat gluttony, but instead from a genuine respectful nature that he kept hidden from the two of them during their fight.

"If it were up to me, I'd've let you in. It went down to a vote though, and some of the others barely got to see you in action."

"T-That so?"

"Damn right it is. You two are pretty damn good at what you do. Lotta newbies tend to fall for those tricks of mine, Deku. You did good."

"Th-Thanks… You're…. Kind of hurting me."

"Not much of a Strength Enhancement Type." Kuroshi teased, but he let Izuku go all the same. "You too, pinky. You've got some skill."

Mina blinked. "Thanks… But why're you calling us by our Hero names?" They weren't in combat anymore.

...Or did he even know what their real names were?

"….Your Hero name is seriously Pinky?"

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it either."

Kuroshi then shook his head and looked at Izuku. "Hold up, your Hero name is Deku? You said that was just your name."

With a gentle, awkward laugh, Izuku explained himself. "You didn't specifically ask for my actual name, so I just… Gave you my Hero name… M-My name's Izuku Midoriya."

Holding up his hand to shake Izuku's, Kuroshi smiled again. "Well then, Midoriya, hope to see you again here. You two've got the talent to make a Hero team, I'm confident."

Taking his hand, Izuku nodded. "Thanks."

* * *

As soon as the next day began, the first thing that Izuku did was seek out Aizawa. He was already in the room when Izuku turned up, sat behind his desk, wrapped up in his sleeping bag, though he wasn't asleep. At least not yet. He probably would be in about five minutes while he waited for everyone to arrive.

"…Aizawa-sensei." Izuku spoke up, standing opposite his homeroom teacher, so he would be able to look him in the eye as he gave him his answer.

Aizawa looked up at Izuku, seemingly confused for a second. He blinked twice at the sight of the green haired boy, and groggily answered him. "What is it, Midoriya?"

"… I wouldn't save Mina. And I wouldn't save the Civilian either. Instead… I'd take the villain with the gun down, so he couldn't hurt anyone at all."

For a moment, Aizawa just looked at Izuku blankly, showing neither any sides of understanding or recollection of the question that he had sprung up on Izuku just yesterday. Instead, he looked at Izuku like the student had just gone crazy.

He then smiled. "Good answer, Midoriya."

* * *

 **Kuroshi's Hero name Freezerburn is a reference to the ship in RWBY. Don't really like it personally, but I think it has a cool name.**

 **Also – We've got a new Izuku X mina fic out. It's called Dormant Power, and it's by CoverofThunder, on both Ao3 and Ff. Net, I've been helping him out getting things sorted, and he's got a lot of stuff planned that he's discussed with me, including one shots, and his main story. I spellchecked and helped him out with formatting and the likes, and it's looking like it could be something really damn good, so go give his stuff a shot!**

 **I also got feedback from you guys. Thanks for that, it's helping me come up with a solution to this issue I've faced. I'll come up with a way to best share the story with you– And let me tell you, my ideas for this story are going to be absolutely glorious. I cannot wait to share them with you ^_^**

 **Also, fun news - I actually got fanart for Awkward Energy! I forgot to mention it last week, but talrexmonarch was awesome enough to make art for the series. Let him know what an awesome job he did - Because it is absolutely amazing ^_^**

mysterywhiteflame .deviantart art /fanart-of-a-fanfic-  
686873200


	30. Mina's Thoughts

They only had a day before they went on the School Trip. Once today was gone, they'd be loading up onto the bus and headed to who even knew where, to do who even knew what. Since Izuku had been held hostage by Shigarki, the school had to change the original location of the week away so the Villains wouldn't be able to find it. So tomorrow, they had no idea what they were supposed to expect. It was why Mina had asked. Plus, since they had failed the initiation to become official Hero Team students the day prior, she figured that they probably needed some sort of time together to help one another cope with the failure.

To be fair, neither of them were totally and utterly devastated about it. It had been a last minute, throwaway suggestion that Aizawa had made before the trip, so neither of them had a lot of time to think about it, and therefore, neither of them had set their sights on it so much that they felt pained by the loss. It hurt them about as much as it hurt to miss an ice-cream truck in the summer – A bit irritating and a bit disappointing, but they got over it fairly quickly.

It wasn't like they'd just had their entire futures ripped away from them. Still, that didn't mean that they weren't a bit upset. Mina was. She would have liked Team Awkward Energy to become a thing that day, but their results just didn't allow that. They would try again next term, once they got back from the trip and had their summer break, and then, they would pass, and work to become a Hero Team. It was something they really wanted to give a try – To actually learn how to become a Hero Team.

Until then though, they had to come up with ways to cheer themselves up.

Hence why Mina was suggesting that Izuku sleep over at her place.

"I-I feel like neither of o-our parents would be o-okay with this…" As expected though, Izuku was as flustered as someone in this situation could possibly get. She was able to casually just suggest this sort of thing, which always made Izuku feel awkward. To her surprise, he wasn't outright objecting _against_ the idea, though he was bringing up some fairly valid concerns.

None that Mina hadn't already thought to counter though.

"Dude, you know how chilled out my family is about this sorta thing. I asked them, they're already on board, and besides, they really like you." She informed him with a fond smirk across her lips. "I keep getting asked by mom and dad when I'm bringing you over again. They got pretty upset when I told them they missed you the other day."

"A-And what about my mom?"

"It's not like it'd the first time we've slept together." Her choice of words were very deliberate there, and the absolute crimson blush on Izuku's face afterwards was the exact result she'd been seeking. "Heh… Jokes aside, I already stayed with you like, a few days ago, and she seemed totally fine about it then. I dunno why she wouldn't be okay with us staying together overnight again." Those circumstances were a bit different, Mina would admit, but she still maintained that it wouldn't be too different for Izuku to sleep at her house. Given that it'd happened in Izuku's once already, stopping them now was pretty pointless. Adding on to her earlier joke, she stated, "It's not like we're gonna be doing anything _that_ inappropriate. There are still kids in the house, y'know. I don't wanna wake 'em."

Once more, flustered Izuku appeared, quickly moving his face away so Mina could only catch glimpses of his red cheeks through his green hair. Getting such a reaction from him had become so easy for Mina, sometimes she didn't even think about it when she was doing it.

Though through fluster though, he did manage to ask another question. "I-if we did get our parents to agree... W-Where would I sleep?"

"My room. With me if you want."

Now she could swear his hands were turning red as he blushed with hi entire body. Though this hadn't actually been an attempt specifically made to make him blush. She was actually being serious here. Her ideal situation would be if Izuku did wind up sharing a bed with her. She remembered waking up in his arms when she fell asleep during their revision session, and it was one of the most comforting experiences she'd ever had. Then again, she wasn't at all surprised that he went that red.

He was just awkward and easily embarrassed.

It was cute.

"C'mon, it'll be fun! We'll get to hang out, play some games, steal some snacks and watch a movie and cuddle together!" Mina tried to convince him, putting on a deliberately whiny, almost begging tone to her voice, and gave him the closest to puppy dog eyes that she could manage. "C'mon, please Izuku? I wanna spend some time with you before we gotta go on the field trip."

They were both looking forward to it, but it was a good point. Once the trip began, their chances to spend time together as a couple were going to be limited. They still might have the opportunities, sure, and once the trip ended, they had a summer break to look forward to, but they expected to be very busy with training for the foreseeable future, and Aizawa didn't seem like the type to lay off just because they were dating.

...In fact, it wasn't even questionable. Aizawa wasn't going to lay off for a second just because they were dating. If anything, he'd just hammer the pair of them with even more training for failing the Hero Team Initiation. Why either of them had even entertained the brief notion that perhaps he wouldn't was a question they wouldn't ever figure out. He'd said Mina was going to need extra tutelage, and he was damn well going to make sure she got it.

So yeah, Mina was right. Their chances to spend a large, if any, quantity of time together were probably going to end during the field trip. At least, their time to date like regular teenagers would come to a brief end.

Was wanting to spend a night with your boyfriend an out of the ordinary thing to want to do given the circumstances?

Absolutely not. Izuku wasn't going to deny that fact. Mina's feelings, her desire, it was completely justifiable given the week they had ahead of them. And to be honest…

It wasn't like he didn't want to either. He did. There wasn't really a reason to deny to do so either… Well, aside from his own general awkwardness and hesitation.

Part of that hesitation did indeed come from his revelation, the decision that had come from being held hostage by Shigaraki just a few days ago. The belief that had come into his head to not risk what he had with her. That even just risking their relationship by letting it slip out that he loved her would start some unending domino effect into would just end everything.

He just wanted this one thing. This simple thing. He wanted to keep this feeling he had whenever he was with Mina. This warm, wonderful feeling. The feeling that made him feel loved and trusted, that he had the ability to just be himself around her and to not have to worry about what she thought, that he needn't fear her judgement, because she was so clear with how she felt.

Was it selfish of him to think like that? To want nothing between them to change, to not rock the foundations he had with her?

Was he making the wrong choice? Would this lead down some other path?

Was he not considering Mina's perspective on this? She hadn't said anything about it at all… Given the way she acted, so affectionate and loving, he would have assumed that he would have at least brought it up… So did it not bother her? Did she understand? Did she know how he felt without even needing to hear him explicitly say it?

He honestly didn't have the answers… That was why he hesitated to have this sleepover with her. Not because he didn't want to, but because he wasn't sure if he trusted himself not to botch it in some way.

Even so… Looking at her now, with her putting on the cutest face that she could pull, almost like she was pouting in a sense, because she knew that she'd be able to break him by acting like this…. She didn't play fair sometimes.

"…A-Alright." He agreed, giving into her request. He didn't have it in her to upset her by denying this final bit of private time together before they got thrown into a week's long brutal straining session.

A huge grin spread onto her lips when she heard Izuku's surrender to her request. "Yahoo!" Mina cheered in her victory, throwing her hands into the air and bouncing up off the ground in celebration, before then wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and pulling him into a tight hug that ended up lifting him up off of his feet, with enough force that Izuku briefly thought that she was going to end up accidentally crushing his ribs.. "We're gonna have so much fun!"

* * *

As Mina had guessed, Izuku's mother was totally fine with the idea. There hadn't even been a brief moment of concern in the larger woman's voice or eyes, not a single hint of anxiety or worry for her son. Even if he couldn't say it, she knew her son perfectly well. Inko understood exactly how Izuku felt, even when he didn't say exactly what it was that was on his mind, or in his heart.

So, Izuku had basically spent the time packing everything up in his room that he felt he was going to need. Clothes, a notepad and some pencils, in case he met any Heroes or other students with interesting Quirks he wanted to make notes of, and a grip booster, to work on his forearms some when he felt like doing so. He doubted that they were going to be left with a lot of time to do much else, other than train, eat and sleep. Any free time he did get, he was probably going to spend with Mina.

As he was doing this, Inko found herself sat with Mina as the two of them waited for Izuku to finish packing up what he was going to need.

"- So they're not even telling us where we're going. I honestly have no idea where we're gonna end up." Mina had just finished explaining what Inko had suspected from Izuku's behaviour – That no one in the class even knew where the training trip was even taking place.

It made a lot of sense to Inko, Mina was confident. It was her son that had been held hostage by Shigaraki, so she was probably the only parent who would fully understand the severity of the situation. As such, Mina felt little to no danger in telling her any of this.

Judging by how relaxed she was about the situation, she seemed to understand why the school had done this perfectly well. It was totally justifiable. Frankly, it was a very smart thing to be doing. When it came to the students, if there was even a shred of a possibility that something could go wrong, the school should do everything within its power to reduce that risk until it wasn't even worth taking into consideration. So Inko didn't seem mind that at all.

"I see." She responded, taking a small sip from the tea from her cup. "Thanks for explaining that to me. Izuku's quite tight lipped about this sort of thing."

"Yeah, I know…" Mina muttered to herself, underneath her breath. Frankly, she hadn't even noticed that she had done it, but it highlighted an issue that she had noticed when it came to her boyfriend that she just kept quiet.

Something that was… Starting to bug her.

She hadn't shown that it had bothered her, or even that she'd noticed at all. A lot of the time, she was just pretending that she was totally okay with how things were, but if she were to be completely and utterly honest with herself, she wasn't. She wasn't happy with how things were going right now. Not with her relationship with Izuku. Well, she was happy with their relationship, absolutely…

It was difficult to explain.

Trials and tribulations aside, she loved Izuku to absolute death, that wasn't what was being questioned here. Izuku made her feel like absolute gold. He was so sweet with her, kind to everyone around him, and genuinely heroic and selfless that he almost crossed the line into downright idiocy. He was a massive dork and it was adorable, and she loved him to absolute death.

It wasn't any one thing he did or said, but rather, everything that he was. When she had seen him from afar, she hadn't thought much of him. Seeing him now, knowing the person he was… She thought she couldn't possibly love him any more that she already did. It just didn't feel like it was possible, but she was managing, somehow.

The question was… Was that how he felt about her?

She had been very open with her feelings towards Izuku, she felt. In fact, she didn't think it was possible to telegraph how deeply she cared for him any more than she already had done. She kissed him so often, hugged him and told him how she felt towards him so clearly that anyone who had even the slightest bit of awareness would be aware that to her, Izuku meant the world.

But was that how Izuku felt? He'd never told her as such. He'd never told her that she loved him. He had never told her that he felt the same way. And as much as his actions told her that of course he loved her, and that she was an idiot for thinking that he did anything other than absolutely adore her… The thought just couldn't get itself out of her head.

Here was a person that was so selfless and so genuinely caring about people who had done nothing but make his life pain, that he would do anything within his power to help them out. Todoroki was the very first example that she'd seen of this altruistic spirit of his. The Half-cold-Half-Hot Quirk user hadn't shown much but a general coldness towards Izuku since the Sports Festival had begun, and yet Izuku had gone out of his way to help him to use his fire side. A less controversial one in terms of the person he was helping, but he'd run to rescue Iida in that whole debacle of a mess against the Hero Killer. During the End Of Semester exam, he had told her about the fight he and Bakugou had had with All Might, and what had happened.

Including how the Explosion Quirk user had just lashed out and struck him before they'd even engaged All Might. How he'd gone out of his way to avoid working together with him, just for the sake of his own damned pride. And even when he was working with him, he'd use his Quirk to throw Izuku all over the place.

To be as blunt as possible, it made Mina angry. Genuinely angry that Bakugou would even dare do something like that to Izuku. All it really did was fuel the fires of distaste that she had for him, sending her over the line from dislike and distrust, to outright hate.

Mina _hated_ Bakugou.

She hated Bakugou for everything he'd done to Izuku. Hate was the perfect word to describe what she felt towards the arrogant, prideful, conceited son of a bitch.

Izuku on the other hand – He'd still helped him. Even when he didn't want to be helped, he'd gone out of his way to help him, even when it made literally no sense to do so. Running back to grab him and drag him out of the exit when all he needed to do to win was get out of the perimeter of the place? Going back to drag a totally unconscious Bakugou out made no sense whatsoever, and yet Izuku just did it anyway.

He was a far better person than she was. He might be a little bit crazy, but Izuku always meant genuine good.

And then most recently, there was him, when he was probably scared out of his mind, being held hostage by Shigaraki. And instead of doing what anyone else probably would have done – Try to use their Quirk and bolt out of the nearest exit – He instead went along with it, just because the Villain threatened to hurt more people if he didn't.

If that didn't highlight the type of person Izuku was, she didn't know what did.

And to be honest… That was what was scaring Mina right now.

Taking all of that into consideration… Izuku would never do anything to intentionally harm anymore. He just wouldn't do it. When faced with hurting another person or himself, he always opted that he be the one to suffer. That was how he was, and how he had always acted when faced with these sorts of scenarios. His actions spoke far, far louder than his words did, and proved time and time again, that he wasn't going to let anyone get hurt in any way as long as he was around.

And…

It made her shudder to think about, and part of her did know that she was being completely irrational. It was way too convoluted to be the actual reason. It would just cause Izuku more trouble than it would have saved him. He wouldn't do this sort of thing even if it would have saved him trouble. He just wasn't that sort of person. It was stupid to fear this sort of thing from him…

But… What if that was why he was even with her in the first place?

Was it that he just didn't want to upset her, or hurt her emotionally?

Given everything, was that an absurd idea? Was that why he hadn't said that he loved her? Because he didn't want to lie to her on top of everything else?

Were these ideas too crazy? Was she just being paranoid?

Probably. No, almost certainly. Absolutely. She knew that logically, she wasn't making any sort of sense. It was just her mind filling in the blanks. When she stopped, and just took a breath, she knew that she was just being irrational. Izuku wasn't the kind of person to lie like that. He wouldn't toy with her emotions like that.

But the fact remained that Izuku just hadn't said three simple words that she just wanted to hear. Needed to hear. Mina wasn't a clingy person. She was affectionate, yes, but clingy? Absolutely not. But at the same time… She just wanted to know that she was loved by her boyfriend, that she wasn't alone in her feeling like this. That her love was reciprocated. That the boy she loves loved her too.

Whatever the reason was… He hadn't said it.

And that left Mina unhappy with the current state of things. Not that she was unhappy with the relationship – It was still one of the best things that had come out of going to Yuuei… But not with how it was progressing. They'd been dating for a few months now, but apparently nothing was happening to progress anymore. They'd reached some sort of standstill. Part of why Mina had been so openly willing to be more intimate with Izuku by letting him feel her chest just a few days ago was partially in the hopes that something might push one of them into progressing more… But nothing had really happened from it. In fact, she'd just found the limits of what he was willing to do.

It was partly why she wanted to have this sleepover in the first place. To reaffirm things with Izuku. Show him that she really, really did love him with everything that she had to offer. Maybe that would comfort him. Maybe that would do something for the pair of them.

Mina took a sip of her own tea in silence, and put the cup down flat on the table when she was finished, blinking twice and then sighing. Upon exhaling, her phone began to let out a loud buzzing noise, indicating that she had just received a text message. Reaching into her jacket's front pocket, she unlocked the phone by swiping it left to right, and then hitting the messages app.

It was Micha, revealing that he was outside and just about ready to take both the young Heroes-In –Training back to the Ashido household. Apparently he was borrowing their father's car to do so.

…Did he even own a drivers licence?

"Whatever. It'll be fine." Mina muttered in response to that last thought, and turned to look back at Inko. "My brothers here to pick us up. I'm just gonna check on Izuku."

With a nod from Inko, Mina downed her tea in one large gulp, and rose to her feet. Even if she'd never been in this apartment building before, Izuku's room wasn't even remotely difficult to locate. His room had a sigh hung up on it that was All Might themed, like everything else in that room was.

She could only imagine the reaction All Might would have if he ever saw the room.

That would be a hilarious situation.

She planted three knocks on Izuku's door, and then spoke up so he would be able to hear her. "Hey, Izuku, Micha's here. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, just a second…" He fumbled around in his room for a second, unzipping his suitcase, putting something in it presumably, re-zipped it up, then made his way quickly over to the door, and opening it to see his girlfriend. "Alright, I'm good to go."

Even his freaking _suitcase_ was All Might themed… Mina had to seriously stifle a giggle.

In the face of all her worries, even then, Izuku managed to make her laugh, without even trying.

"W-What?"

"You're literally the biggest nerd I have ever met."

"Wh-Where did that come from?!"

"Just you in general." Still having to hold back her laughter, Mina grabbed hold of Izuku's hand, and pulled him out of his room, and down the front door of the apartment.

All her concerns still in place, she really did still love just being around the guy.

* * *

Never – Mina made a mental note to herself – Ever, ask Micha to drive her anywhere ever again. The only suitable time for her to ask him for a ride anywhere – The only time – Was if she ever accidentally swallowed poison and needed to get it out of her system as quickly as she possibly could. The majority of the time that they were in the car, she felt like she was in a rocket ship headed out to space more than a four wheeled automobile.

Micha was the sort of person who would make the car go as fast as he could possibly get away with at every single opportunity. The second he wasn't behind another car or someone wasn't watching him, he'd slam down on the accelerator, put it into fourth gear, and speed down the road like he was being chased by a Villain with a Speed Enhancement Quirk.

How he hadn't crashed and gone flying out the window since he'd learned how to drive was a mystery that she would never, ever be able to figure out. Frankly, she was amazed that some Hero hadn't jumped in and put a stop to his reckless driving weeks ago. He was technically still inside the speed limits sure… But he was absolutely insane when he was on the road. Swerving, moving into open lanes, going from zero to a hundred when it came to how fast the car was moving….

Mina was honestly amazed that they even made it back to the Ashido household without ending up in a violent wreck.

Finally pulling on the handbrake as the car pulled into the family's drive, Micha quickly turned around to look at the green and pink pair behind him. Putting on a particularly cockney accent, the older teenager pretended to be a hired taxi driver. "Alright, we're here. That'll be two-thousand yen."

Both the teenagers felt like their heads were spinning, and from the looks of things, Izuku seemed about ready to throw up his guts onto the pavement, and then pass out. Not exactly the best way to end any given car journey. Mina was more hardened to this sort of driving, since her father wasn't a ton better. Still, she felt dizzy more than anything. The second the car stopped, she lower the window to allow fresh air to filter out the sickly air in the vehicle.

"Micha… I wouldn't pay you two yen after that drive." Mina groaned, running a hand firmly down her face as she tried to keep her stomach inside her body, and not in her throat. "I don't… I don't get it… How the hell did the Heroes not pull you over for dangerous driving?..."

"Maybe they just liked the style points."

"If that was style, then out house is a literal castle."

"And on that note, onwards to fort Ashido!" Finally killing the power to the car, Micha opened the door nearest to him, and leaped out of the car with gusto, apparently ridiculously energetic tonight.

He had a date with his girlfriend that night, Mina knew, which probably did explain why he'd blasted back to their house like his life depended on it. Shaking her head, she looked over to Izuku, who still seemed rather dazed from the ride. Somehow he had a Quirk like One For All which let him leap from roof to roof, and he was now pale white from a messed up car journey. He was a living dichotomy, that was all that could be said about it. .

"Hey, Izuku, you alright?" She questioned.

"Y-Yeah…" He responded, though his voice was notably shaky. He'd be alright once he actually started walking again. He blinked a few times once Mina had spoken to him, snapping him from his stupor and bringing him back from whatever plane he'd been on for the last couple of minutes. "Your brother… He drives like a maniac…"

"Yes he does." Mina thoroughly agreed, grabbing hold of the handle to her door and opening it, and stepping outside of the metal contraption, stretching as she did so. For a second, her legs wobbled, before she found her balance. It felt good to be on solid ground again. "You good to get going, or do you need a minute?"

"I-I just need a second.."

"Sure thing." Mina sighed, with a soft smile on her lips.

Sure, she wasn't happy with how things weren't progressing with the two of them. Things felt like they'd come to a standstill.

But she was still happy with their relationship overall. It was just this one thing that was keeping it from being absolutely perfect…

So, she made it her goal to get over that particular hurdle.

* * *

 **Got some long notes for you guys today.**

 **Chapters a bit shorter than normal, but I actually do have a reason for this. Flow and OCD, mostly. It's a filler chapter, yeah, but a filler chapter I felt needed to happen to explain Mina's side of things.  
Chapter 30 – We made it here! Finally! Thanks so much for all the support guys, but we aren't even close to being done yet. After this chapter, we're getting into the stuff that I really, really, REALLY have been wanting to get into for the last four months now. It's gonna be exciting to finally get into it. I'm hyped as hell ^_^ **

**Can we also just talk about the Manga's Chapter 144? MINA GOT SOME FUCKING SCREENTIME AND IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING. She's the Deku of her middle school is what she is, and break dances people into submission. It was absolutely glorious. Granted, I'm worried about her since she was basically used to pad out Kirishima's backstory – I love Kirishima, but my GOD, he, Bakugou, Todoroki, Uraraka and Tsuyu really don't need more fleshing out. They're as fleshed out as they're gonna get, and it feels like Kohei is just wasting fantastic opportunities to give sides a chance to shine, Mina in particular. Kohei – Main her, for the love of Christ.**

 **I'm of the belief if Mina's popularity rises, she might actually get more screen time – Same as Tsuyu and Todoroki did (Because I call bull Kohei has this all planned. He planned everything overall, and waits on public response for things like characters and development. That'll be what he means when he says he has the story planned out. That's just how authors work, especially when you upload on a week-by-week basis. Todoroki's inclusion is because of how well received he was – I will put money on that belief.) Look, I'm totally aware that I'm not gonna affect the canon much, if at ALL, but I like to entertain these ideas.**

 **Basically what I'm saying is, I'm update first Generation tomorrow (Even if it is a bit shorter) and try my hand at a one-shot or two. So get hyped for that.**

 **Been a long time since I put in this long an author's note. Hope you enjoyed guys ^_^**


	31. Joy Of Failure

Something that Izuku just wasn't used to about the Ashido family was their straightforward, light-hearted and friendly attitude towards him. He should have gotten used to it a lot quicker than he was, but he just wasn't quite able to.

With Mina, he'd adapted quickly. Since they were dating one another, and spent such a lot of time together, he'd grown accustomed to the way she was. Her energetic and eccentric ways had been surrounding him for the last few months, so he'd grown accustomed to her personality. If only to save himself from further embarrassment and fluster from her actions.

The thing was, Izuku still was terribly awkward socially. Conditioned to keep his mouth shut and to keep to himself by years of bullying, being surrounded suddenly by all manner of various outgoing and friendly people was something he still struggled with, even after all his time at Yuuei. He could manage it when he was with a group of friends, or on a one-to-one basis, or with Mina…

Her entire family was open and friendly and hyper energetic like her too, though, and excluding Mina herself, there were five of them.

Five people he barley even knew. The only thing he honestly knew about any of them was the fact that they were blood relations to his girlfriend. Frankly, it did add a lot more pressure onto him. No, this wasn't the first time he'd met the family, but this was the first time in quite a while, and now they were convinced, just as much as he was, that the relationship he had with Mina was one that was going to last. And somehow, that made him feel more like he was under more of an obligation to be upstanding.

Frankly, he didn't fully understand why he felt like this. He was aware he was overthinking things, but that wasn't going to stop him from doing so, out of sheer habit if nothing else.

His worries weren't founded in any sense of reality however.

The Ashido family just genuinely liked him.

Opening up the door for Izuku to enter her house, Mina followed shortly after, and shut the door behind her. Kicking her shoes off in the entrance hall, she then hopped up from the lower section, and then called out into the house, throwing her arms into the air like she was making a huge announcement to a huge crowd. "Yo, we're back! I brought Izuku!"

"You mean you got me to bring you both back." Micha, revealing himself to be in the room to the immediate right, collapsed onto a sofa that was just opposite the door, commented.

"Micha, those're just details." Mina slyly stated, glancing towards her collapsed brother. He was just going to take it easy until his girlfriend called that she was ready to go. How she managed to put up with his driving, Mina had absolutely no idea.

Before Micha could get another word in edge-wise towards his younger sister, that Izuku could already tell he had on the tip of his tongue, a voice that was just at the top the stairs, followed by a series of running footsteps pulled his attention upwards. At the top of those stairs, were Mina's younger siblings, Mika and Mara, and in front of them, was Mina's mother, who already had a huge smile of what looked like pride on her face.

Izuku had only recently, on the car ride back in between the yelps and Mina yelling at her brother to calm the holy hell down when it came to his driving, that the oldest Ashido woman's first name was Michiko, and that the family name actually belonged to her side. He'd never actually gotten to know what her name was on his first visit, nor had he exactly interacted with her much, if at all.

Still, she acted as if Izuku was an old family friend that she hadn't seen in a long time. "Midoriya!" She greeted happily, quickly making her way down the steps and pulling her daughter's boyfriend into a warm hug. Within just a second, Izuku knew exactly where Mina got her friendliness and social attitudes from. "It's been a while! Good to see you again!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Izuku responded as quickly and politely as he could, frozen in place, with his hands strapped to his sides. Though in fairness, Michiko's arms had wrapped around him in such a way that her arms had gone around his torso, and kept his arms pinned to the side, so he couldn't move them even if he had wanted to.

"Nice to see you too, Mom." Mina muttered sarcastically, as she did around her family. Izuku had noticed that when surrounded by her blood relatives, the number of her sarcastic responses, and attitude overall, increased exponentially.

It was entertaining to say the least. A lot of the time around them, he just was stood there with a weak smile etched onto his face, trying not to laugh, so he wouldn't come across as rude..

"But you're here all the time." Mika responded from atop the stairs, a joke which made the foul mouthed Mara fold his arms and chuckle at the abuse being hurled towards his older sister. "Midoriya's more interesting than you are."

"Well said!" Micha yelled for all to hear, clapping his hands as he did so.

For her part, Mina was talking the banter very well, a smile on her face as they all made their jokes towards her. "You're all hilarious."

"Damn right we are!" Mara called out.

As the jokes kept going, Michiko had finally let go of the hold she'd had on Izuku, only to be substituted for Mina gently throwing her arms around his neck from behind, so her hands loosely rested by his chest, almost like she was claiming him from the rest of her family. She succeeded in making Izuku go a red shade.

It still was absolutely bizarre to Izuku that Mina was the odd looking one in her family. Everyone else looked totally like regular humans. The genetics involved in such a scenario would be interesting to learn about. Disregarding that though, the similarities between all of the Ashido family were so clear that anyone with even a single working ear could understand their dynamic.

Tuning back into the conversation, he heard Michiko explaining something to his girlfriend. "-and your food should be arriving at about seven."

"You're ordering take out while the rest of us eat poison?!" Micha growled at the pink girl. "You damn traitor."

"I'd prefer it if my boyfriend didn't die, thanks bro."

"I'd prefer it if _I_ didn't die. Face it, Pinky, you need me for chaperone purposes!" The eldest sibling declared dramatically, showing off all of his yellow teeth, and pointing at her like an anime protagonist who had discovered the flaws in the Villain's plans.

"Never again."

Faced with such a flat response, Micha's face dropped, as did his pointing. Still, he maintained a gloating aura about him. "You say that, next week you're gonna want me to drive you two to a movie."

"Nah, no way man, I don't trust you with a car anymore. Well, I never did, but now I know never to take a risk on you again."

"Yeah, speaking of risks." Micha suddenly reached into his left pocket, rummaging around for a second, until he eventually found what he had been searching for.

"Micha, no." Their mother interjected, before her eldest could go through with whatever joke he had planned.

"Oh come on! I had a whole bit planned!" Moaned the Meltdown Quirk user. "I was gonna gonna make the green bastard go red so he'd end up as some weird yellow-orange mess. At least then Pinky there wouldn't be the only one with a weird skin colour."

* * *

Mina's family was certainly an amusing one. A tight knit one. A very good spirited one. Izuku wasn't able to deny any of those facts. Once he was able to adjust to their brashness and their overall hyperactivity, he was able to appreciate their carefree attitudes and barely concealed mock contempt for one another.

The environment in which Mina had grown up in, it wasn't at all surprising to see how it had shaped her into the person that she was now. A person with a great sense of humour, but genuine kindness and softness when it mattered.

Even if her family was all absolutely insane, it was obvious that underneath their attempts to humiliate and insult one another, that they did love one another with everything they had. Perhaps that was part of why Mina was such a loving person towards him.

It was still slightly uncomfortable for him, since he barely knew any of them. So far, _all_ he knew about them was that they all just seemed to love making fun of one another. Best that he could tell, Micha in particular just seemed to spend the majority of his time planning on finding ways to mess with his family. Tonight that had seemed to involve him trying to embarrass Mina by teasing Izuku to no end. Thankfully, their mother already sensed his tricks.

There wasn't any doubt that her brother had some sort of sex joke planned. Izuku was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the oldest Ashido had planned on it. But he hadn't been able to actually make the joke.

So thank God for that.

Something that Izuku noticed was that her father wasn't around. She had explained that he was actually away during the following week, at a bachelor's party with some of his lifelong friends abroad in the U.S. It was why she'd chosen to have the sleepover now. Her father was a very relaxed person, almost to a fault, so she knew that he wouldn't have any particular problems with Izuku staying over with her. The issue did, however, rest in the fact that he could be a very intrusive man when he wanted to be, and Mina had no doubt that he'd make up some contrived excuse to check on what the pair of them were doing. It wasn't that he was over-protective over her – He'd probably be more okay with them doing intimate things than anyone else in the house would be. He was just nosy, that was what it came down to.

One of the many reasons why Mina detested the fact that her room didn't have a lock of any sort. Normally she'd resort to moving something heavy behind the door so that her father would have to actually push for it to open – It was better than him just being able to barge in whenever he felt like it. Thankfully, everyone else in the house at least respected her privacy enough to, at the very least, knock before walking into the room, so she didn't need to worry about that tonight.

Along with that, Mina had already planned everything out that night. Not feeling like eating what tasted like lead mixed with salt that was her mother's food, or subjecting Izuku to eating that sort of thing either, she'd ordered a take-out for the pair of them to share, which had arrived not too long – About twenty minutes – after the pair of them arrived at the large household. She'd ordered a pair of large pizza's from a nearby delivery place, a place Izuku hadn't actually been to before. Along with that, she'd already placed some movies on her television onto her watch list, so she could easily find the ones that she wanted to watch with her boyfriend. It didn't surprise Izuku for even the slightest second that she ended up choosing the movie "Alien", in spite of his protests.

Horror films were something that Izuku really… Really… Really hated. He didn't care if it came out last year, thirty years ago, three hundred years ago or it if was some sort of timeless masterpiece. Horror was horror and it absolutely freaked him out… But Mina had already made up her mind.

As it turned out, she could be stubborn when it came to her movies.

Furthermore, she'd managed to convince her brothers to let her borrow the family gaming console, which she'd hooked up to her TV already. How she'd managed to get the gamer Micha to give up one of the household systems was a question Izuku felt left unanswered.

Izuku had to wonder how long she'd been planning this particular night. It felt like she'd wanted to do this sort of thing for a long time, but either hadn't had the courage to ask him to do so, or just wanted to wait for the perfect time to do so. Whatever the reason for it was, she had come to think that the time was right, and here they now were.

Looking over at him with the corner of her eyes, Mina offered a kind smile. "You still look like you're uncomfortable. Actually, I guess flustered knowing you."

A very true fact. Being in Mina's room was still very much an experience to the green haired boy. Even just disregarding the simple fact he was just in a girl's room, never mind that it was his girlfriend's room…

This was the same room he'd had his very first kiss.

Memories of that event had come flooding back into his mind the second he stepped through her door and into her room. She was sat in the exact same spot that she was when she'd leaned over and kissed him for the very first time. She'd placed the take-outs to her right, leaving the only place for Izuku to sit down was in the exact same place he'd been say that evening. If she had done this intentionally or not was something Izuku wasn't too sure of, but it still brought back those memories even more.

They'd kissed plenty of times since. So many times, Izuku honestly didn't know how much they'd kissed anymore. At Mina's initiation, they'd even gone further than just kissing. Some would argue much further than just kissing.

Yet it was here where Izuku felt his heart rate increase and his blush start to form. Not while he was sat in his bedroom, where he'd felt more of Mina than ever before. But here, where they'd shared their first truly intimate moment together. Where he'd become confident in his feelings for her, and he knew she was confident in her feelings for him.

Really, someone could say that their relationship truly began in this very room, and they wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Patting the space next to her, Mina used her free hand to motion that Izuku take the space next to her. "C'mon, quit being all blushy and come sit down!" She didn't demand, nor did she request that he did so. Instead, all she did was make the offer open to him. She just had a way with how she spoke that never made Izuku feel like he had to do something out of either demand, or out of obligation.

Mina only wanted him to do things because he wanted to. That was just the sort of person that she was.

Though it took him a second or two to swallow the nerves he had about being in this particular room again, and knowing just what room it was, he eventually found his steel and made his way over to her bed, and sat himself down next to her. He noted that her bed covers were cameo, the same as her Hero costume, only in different colours. Perhaps she was just a fan of that particular sort of style.

Passing the order that she had bought for him over to him, which Izuku took, Mina then reached for the remote to her TV. She had a huge grin on her face from anticipation – Presumably because she was excited to make Izuku watch one of her favourite movies of all time. "You ready to start this?"

"I… I suppose so…" Resigned the young teenager, realizing that trying to further convince Mina to let them watch anything else was going to be a wasted effort.

Making herself comfortable, Mina rested herself again Izuku's body, placing the back of her head against his chest, and leaning on him that way, so she herself was almost just laying down on the bed. In doing so, Izuku was pushed against the wall, resting his back on it. He went slightly red in the face, but he didn't mind it too much. Honestly, it was actually rather comfortable.

What followed was a two hour, old fashioned movie that had Izuku tense virtually all the way through. The first half an hour or so wasn't too bad, but it still did have him nervous. It was an old film, very old, from before Quirks were even a thing, and that was a surreal experience for him. Everyone in the film was totally Quirkless, which was just… Weird to him. Even though he himself was born Quirkless, he had accepted Quirks as a part of society long, long ago. Seeing so many Quirkless people exist without Quirks as a thing in their society… It was just impossible to think of.

He just considered himself lucky to have eaten his food before the actual 'Alien' itself showed up. To be frank, the actual appearance of the creature itself didn't bother him much, if at all. Some people in society today were far more terrifying in appetence, and besides, dealing with Villains like he had, and as frequently as he had, he wasn't sure if anything's outright appearance could scare him anymore.

Still, he initially had to question why on earth Mina wanted to originally have her Hero name based on… That.

Then he saw the acid blood, and his question was immediately answered.

What did bother Izuku about the film however was the tension that it had. The jump scares, the atmosphere… The alien could have been some sort of cute fluffy mascot from a video games company and he was still convinced he'd have a heart attack when it popped in out of nowhere.

And he wound up putting up with that sort of emotional turmoil for just under two hours, while Mina seemed to be having the time of her life. She'd watched the film so many times that she didn't even seem to be bothered by the horror aspect of it anymore, and she got no end of amusement whenever Izuku jumped in surprise. Every time he jolted after a jump scare, she promptly began to laugh at his actions, teasing him as she did so.

"You're an odd guy, y'know." She commented, looking up at him. "You managed to deal with Stain, but _this_ is freaking you out?"

"Eh heh…" Even Izuku agreed that it was an oddity, so all he could do was awkwardly chuckle and scratch the back of his head.

"Well, whatever." Mina said, resting her head against his chest again. "It's cute."

They watched the rest of the movie in a relative silence, though Izuku did remain tense throughout a lot of it, though Mina resting against him had a calming effect. For the most part. Still didn't help him when the creature on screen was doing its best to terrify him. A trick he used to make himself feel better was that he imagined the creature to just be a human who had a peculiar Quirk. When he thought about it in this way, he found that he was a lot more comfortable with seeing the films antagonist.

Upon the films very ambiguous ending, which Izuku wasn't sure if he was supposed to cheer or be in despair towards, Mina quickly hopped up from him sat opposite him, her legs crossed, her hands together, and a curious grin on her face. "So, what'd'ya think?"

"H-How do you like that sort of stuff?" Izuku questioned, not able to even slight understand the appeal of the horror genre of film. At all. Who paid to be scared out of their mind?!

"I like the adrenaline." Was the simple answer that he got. The thing was, with how he knew Mina to be, hyper energetic, athletic and social… He didn't doubt it. For even a second.

It seemed like exactly the sort of thing she'd watch horror films for.

Again, he found himself unsure if he was supposed to laugh or cry. "You're insane…"

"I'm not taking that from the dude who literally turned his arms into mush back at the Sports Festival."

This time, Izuku did manage to laugh, which Mina quickly joined him in. It wasn't particularly funny, and the both of them knew this. They didn't care though – They were just having fun.

Reaching down from the bed, Mina grabbed hold of one of the controllers, unhooked it from the charger to the system, and then handed it over to Izuku. "Here – You ready to get beat at games?"

"Uh…" Izuku took hold of the – Frankly – Bizarrely shaped console controller. He barley ever played games as it was, arcade games with Mina being basically the only exception. When it came to actual home entertainment systems, he had literally no idea whatsoever what he was doing. He might as well have been holding a a submarine control system for all that he knew about it. "You… I have no idea how to even use this thing?"

"I'll show you. You'll like this game. It's all about Heroes."

Predictably, that caused Izuku's interest to quickly grow. So, Mina spent a while explaining how the controls worked, and the pair of them entered a one versus one match against one another. The characters in the game were Heroes, as some sorts of fighting games usually were. Izuku spent a while debating which character had the best Quirk for the job.

Only to always get beaten into the ground by Mina with ease.

Again and again.

And again.

But the thing was, Izuku never stopped having fun.

A lot of their relationship truly did still confuse him sometimes, and he remained curious as to how things had turned out this way. The way that their habits, interests, and even just their personalities were just so… Contradictory to one another sometimes. But Mina was just…. Absolutely, the best person that he'd ever met. She pushed him out of his comfort zone, while keeping him happy. She made him laugh when he would normally be nervous.

She was just… Frankly, he'd gone over it a million times in his mind, but he just never got bored of it.

Mina was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He loved her so, so much...

Which was why the fear of even telling her… To even risk getting that possible negative reaction… Was absolutely terrifying.

As he thought of these facts, noticing that he was actually managing to beat Mina's character within the game, he felt her head suddenly rest against his shoulder, her apparently having become so tired that she'd just fallen asleep outright while playing the game. He paused for a moment, and checked him phone.

One o'clock in the morning. Time had absolutely blasted past them.

And they were… Almost certainly going to regret it the following morning.

He had to smile though. He wasn't even totally sure how she'd managed to do that. Perhaps she'd exhausted all of the energy she had already, or maybe she was like a timer than just shut down after a certain amount of time. He honestly didn't know, but still, the fact she could just power down like that was… An amusing concept to him.

Deciding to wait a few moments, to make sure that she had properly fallen asleep, he then very slowly, and carefully, moved himself so that he could rest her into her bed, next to him. He had a feeling that she'd just complain of tease him if he didn't do this, and she had outright said that he could… So he just decided that he was going to rest with her that night.

Once he laid next to her, he just watched her sleep, just for a few moments. To put it simply, he found it adorable. She looked so calm and peaceful… This girl, who just seemed to have no end to the amounts of energy that she possessed, being so exhausted that she outright knocked out…. It was cute to him.

Instinctively, he gently leaned forward, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Night, Mina." He said, gently, before closing his eyes himself, and holding her close to him.

To Izuku, it had been a wonderful night of fun, relaxation, and warmth.

But to Mina, it had been a failure.

* * *

 **I know this chapter is shorter than the others again. Not gonna lie, this chapter was difficult. I don't even know why. It just was. It might help if I had more than about six hours sleep over the past week.**

 **I dedicate myself to writing for you guys.**

 **Now, we're finally moving onto the meat of what I've been wanting to write for you all. Some of you may have noticed... A bit of a different feel with Izuku and Mina. It's intended. It's part of my plan. (I just wanted to say that, in case any of you felt I was just being lazy. Trust me guys, this one was _difficult_.) **

**Get hyped. Hope you enjoyed ^_^**


	32. Putting Things Aside

Waking up slowly, the first thing that Mina had seen the next morning was Izuku sleeping next to her, with his right arm loosely wrapped around her waist. She had needed to blink a few times before the blurred image had become clear, and she was able to make out the details of his face. He still was totally unconscious, lightly breathing. She had been able to feel his breath gently against her skin

Simply put, she hadn't remembered falling asleep, at all. One minute, she had been awake, kicking the crap out of the Izuku during their video game session, and the next, she was waking up like this, with just a gap that apparently classified as sleep between the two of them.

She had taken note that Izuku must have been the one to place her like this, and lay next to her like this. That had made her smile, at least just a little bit. She did remember that she had offered that he could sleep next to her if he wanted. He'd evidentially wanted to do just that, so he just did, once she was totally out of it. When she thought about it, no one had even brought up the subject of setting up a futon or sleeping bag for Izuku in her room the previous night – Not even Izuku had. It had just been decided by her family that he was going to be sharing her bed with her.

And Izuku apparently hadn't complained.

Mina had then moved a bit closer to Izuku, letting herself get level with his face. Since he was a couple of inches taller than her, Mina had been slightly more around his chest than his face, though this had only taken a couple of seconds to correct, and movement that hadn't seemed to bother Izuku in the least.

She hadn't really gotten to see him sleeping peacefully like this before. They'd shared a bed in the past, sure, but the first time, she had fallen asleep long before him. The second time, he had basically rolled over and fallen asleep on her chest – Which she still found amusing – And concealed his face. So that had been the first time that she'd gotten to see his sleeping the way he had been then.

He was a peaceful sleeper, she had noted. She had no idea if she was a particularly peaceful sleeper, but she did know that she was a heavy one. When she was knocked out, it took a lot to get her to wake up, otherwise, her body would have just totally ignored anything that happened around her, cancelled it out, and let her remain asleep. She did know that she turned in her sleep. Had that ever woken him up? Or was he as heavy a sleeper as she was?

Those questions had taken a back wall as Mina came more and more to terms with what all of this meant for her plans that night. She'd failed, to put it simply.

It hadn't been a particularly elaborate plan, but it was one that she felt would have gone down reasonably well. To put it simply, her plan had been to spend as much time with Izuku as possible before he'd gotten sleepy, watching films, playing video games, or even just talking, until Izuku mentioned that he'd want to go to sleep. And then, Mina would have asked him.

Did he actually love her?

Her reasoning for why she had wanted to wait until he was sleepy was simple. Manipulative as it might have sounded, it would have hopefully made him be more honest with how he felt. She wasn't sure if that was wrong of her or not, but the fact that she felt she had to do that at all was pretty messed up in itself, as far as she was concerned. All she wanted was some closure in this particular head-racking question. That wasn't wrong, was it?

An alternative to that would have been to simply set a romantic tone – Not particularly difficult for Mina. Back in middle school, she had managed to help set a romantic mood between two people who had considered one another to be rivals, one with a face like a Mako shark, and another with rocks as opposed to fingers with just a series of instructions for the shark dude to follow. If she could manage that, then she could manage to set a tone between her and her awkward nerd of an adorable boyfriend.

In both scenarios, the plan had also been to just talk things through with him. To understand why it was that he hadn't ever said it before. To help her understand things from his point of view…

And she had fallen asleep long before Izuku had. So that had been a bust.

The thing was, just asking him outright wouldn't work, she knew. He didn't like to lie, but he was fairly good at it when he needed to be, or felt that there wasn't another option. Why he would feel the need to was beyond her… But all the same…

She had out a small sigh of resignation, supposing that she could try again when they got back from the trip…

It wasn't wrong to just want to know these things, was it?

* * *

Mina reflected on her thinking as she and Izuku sat in the back of her mother's car as she drove the pair of them to Yuuei. With as early as the group had to meet, they could get ahead of the traffic there, so the streets wouldn't be overly crowded, unless there was a Villain incident so the Heroes had needed to close off the roads.

Thankfully, there was no such incident.

Micha was in the front of the car, having a calmer, and more civilized conversation with their mother, probably about work. Mina hadn't paid much attention to it. Her mother was giving Micha a ride to his work place, since he had volunteered to work through the summer to get some extra money in the bank, and it was just a little beyond the Yuuei boundaries, so to save them the time, she offered the two students a lift as well, which they accepted, because frankly there was no reason not to.

Contemplating everything that she'd thought about this morning, Mina looked over to Izuku from the corner of her eyes. He was just looking out the window as the scenery passed by, looking out for any Heroes that might be on patrol. Out of habit, she supposed. `

Her boyfriend was a person with a one track mind, and he was quiet when he wanted to be. Very quiet. She supposed in this situation, it would be one that he just felt more comfortable being silent in, which was fair enough. She wasn't going to begrudge him in that particular regard.

Really, her falling asleep last night was her own fault. She blamed her own enthusiasm for one-upping Izuku in their video game foray for her falling asleep.

The victory dances probably hadn't helped, either.

And all it had really done was put her back to square one. Sometimes, she felt like she was obsessing over this whole thing… Was it just possible that he just wasn't the sort of person who was able to convey those feelings verbally?

Normally, she would just outright ask him – That was the thing that was starting to get to her. Normally, she'd just go up to him and ask him, and see if they could resolve this quickly and then just get back to how things normally were between them. Were it anyone else, she'd just go for it, ask what she wanted to ask, and then move on with things. But she just couldn't. She didn't have it in her to do it in this circumstance. Partly because she was actually scared of the answer that she'd get. But she wanted to know, which was why she'd set everything up like that the previous night.

Everything felt like a mess way too much for her own comfort, especially regarding Izuku. A big, confusing mess that she had no idea how to deal with. Frustrating didn't even begin to describe it.

Aside from a few comments here and there, the drive to Yuuei was relatively silent for her, while she just went about her thinking. She didn't really talk, rather, she just kept herself silent while. Honestly, there was just a big part of her that just wanted to put it aside, to just forget that she'd ever thought about it, and to just enjoy what she did have with him. Not to stress about three little words.

Surely she'd just be happier for it. Not letting them get in the way of things… Just putting it all aside… That would help her, wouldn't it? Just let it happen if it happened, and if it didn't, then there wouldn't be a problem with that either.

That had to be a way of dealing with this situation, right?

"Uh, Mina?" Izuku's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and looking towards him. His eyes had worry in them, with a tint of confusion on the sides.

"Yeah?"

"We're here."

Blinking twice, Mina then looked outside her window, and sure enough, they were right outside the main entrance to the high school. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed that they had arrived. Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, she turned back to face Izuku, offering a smile. "Oh yeah, we are. Guess I'm still pretty tired." She excused with a small laugh at herself.

Micha sent a look at Mina, with a quirked right eyebrow to indicate his own confusion with his sister in the side mirror, though she didn't comment on it, and neither did her brother.

Both the students got out of the car, and retrieved their suitcases for the trip from the vehicles storage compartment. Making sure that both of them had their student ID passes so the gate wouldn't just slam them out, Mina found that she'd forgotten hers, but Michiko had already guessed this, and picked it up before Mina could freak out – Leaving her with a couple of sarcastic words for the teenager.

She then pulled her daughter into a caring, gentle hug. "Look after yourself and be good." And then with a more sinister tone, she added, "And try not to screw up on the remedial lessons, kid, or there'll be hell to pay."

Letting out a small laugh – Though she didn't doubt her mother for a second. She could be one terrifying woman when she wanted to be – Mina pulled away from her mother's embrace, and took a couple steps back away from her so she couldn't try to do the same again.

With a kind smile to Izuku, Michiko showed a fondness for the green haired boy that was clear as day. "Take care of her for me, won't you? And make sure she doesn't slack off?"

"Uh, yes ma'am." Izuku nodded, agreeing to do so, and afterwards, shooting a look towards Mina, whom was already folding her arms and arming herself with a retort.

"Hey, I can look after myself, thanks." She said with that same family exclusive smug grin.

"Yeah, but you can't study worth a damn." Micha called out from the car, before waving the pair of them off like they were flies. "You're gonna end up late if you don't get a move on, Hero kiddies."

He wasn't wrong either. With the amount of time that they had taken to get here, they had cut it awfully close. The trains wouldn't have been much better, but they still needed to get a move on if they didn't want to be late. Shuddering at the thought of what Aizawa would end up doing to the pair of them if they wound up being late, both students grabbed hold of their suitcases, and made their ways past the main entrance, waving and shouting goodbyes as they left.

The day was hot, so Mina had just totally forgone her grey school jacket, and for once, Izuku had actually done the same, both within their respective owners suitcases, only in Mina's case, it had been more shoved inside, while Izuku's was actually folded. Of course, both students still had to wear their ties as required, though Mina had the first two buttons undone on her vest in an effort to allow more cool air to hit her body. Izuku kept his done up, choosing to remain neat as opposed to remaining cool.

How Izuku managed it was a mystery to Mina.

Both were excited. Regardless of Mina's requirements to attend the extra study sessions, the pair of them were actually excited to be going on this trip. As Mina claimed, it was one of the few times she'd actually been able to get away from Tokyo – Living in such a big family, the ability to take trips was rare. Even if it was just out into the countryside, it was still going to be a huge amount of fun to the pink girl, whom was already bouncing up and down with anticipation with each step she took.

Frankly, the excitement was keeping her distracted from her thoughts about things with Izuku.

"This is gonna be awesome!" She repeated for maybe the fifth time already, pumping her fist into the air with each syllable. "Campfire! Curry! Truth-Or-Dare! Courage tests! Sleepovers and games!" She seemed to be just listing off a bunch of activities and things to do that she'd gotten from movies and the likes.

Izuku sweat-dropped next to her, amused by her actions. He managed to smile, before he tried to bring her back down to earth. Something had been bothering him all the way over here, and he wanted to get an answer if he could. "Hey, Mina?... Mind if I ask you something?"

"Go for it!"

"…You… Seemed quiet in the ride over here." He pointed out, and as he did so, Mina's actions quickly ceased, and her attention shifted straight over to Izuku, looking him in the eyes as he spoke. The action didn't make him as nervous or anxious as it would for anyone else, since he knew, loved, and trusted Mina, but even so, he was still left feeling a bit outlandish as he continued to speak. "I mean, you're normally so chatty and energetic… So… I didn't say anything in the car, because I thought that you wouldn't want to say anything in front of your family… But… I-I just wanted to check… Are you okay?

He'd actually noticed, Mina thought to herself.

There was a serious part of her that realized internally, that this was probably the best chance that she'd get to ask her question to him. To actually get an answer from him, and for their chance to actually talk things out if there was an issue to be had. He was asking her if something was bothering her. And there was. His neglect to say the three simplest of words.

But then she was also faced with the counter to such a question, that counter being, she had almost decided to just forget about it, to just go along with the flow and let whatever happened between them happen. They were words at the end of the day, holding no real, tangible value…

Would it kill her not to hear them? That was what she had to ask herself. What did she lose by not hearing them?

Although she wanted to hear them…. To know if Izuku really did mean what he said when he said that he liked her.

"…I was…" Mina started, slowly, hesitantly, still debating if she needed these answers so desperately. "I was just wondering…"

Izuku intently listened, showing her a small, kind, welcoming smile, neither encouraging her to speak, nor forcing her to give him an answer. Something he was good at doing was making other people feel comfortable with just a few words and expressions that made them feel like they could trust him. And Mina did trust him…

She loved him, after all. But…

"Are you…. Happy?"

She couldn't do it.

"Huh?"

She couldn't bring herself to ask.

"With us, I mean."

Why, she knew perfectly well… If she had to give an answer, it would probably be because she just didn't know how to ask that sort of thing out of the blue.

"I just wondered… I mean… Are you happy with our relationship? I dunno, I was just thinking about that sort of thing, and I just wanted to know…. How you felt about us."

The real reason was because she was scared of his answer. Scared that he'd reveal something that she just didn't know how to deal with. Scared that he'd just say he didn't love her…

"Of course I'm happy, Mina." Izuku answered, and his voice did suggest he genuinely was so. He sounded almost shocked that Mina was even having these thoughts, even offended to a limited degree. He reached over, and held onto her hand, intertwining their fingers – The first time he'd done such an action himself. "I really am… You're… One of the best things… That's ever happened to me." He confessed, blushing while he did so. "…Are you?"

While it wasn't the words that Mina wanted to hear… They still did make her heartbeat increase, and make her feel fuzzy inside, almost soothing her anxiety regarding the pair of them like a medical pill would calm pain. Regardless of the merits of what it implied or didn't imply…

They were still some of the sweetest words she'd heard in a long time.

They just made her automatically smile, and respond right back at her boyfriend with an enthusiastic nod and a grin. "Yep! Absolutely!"

"What… What made you think about that?"

"I dunno. Just my brain being weird, I guess." She made up, before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "Thanks."

No, it wasn't the same as saying 'I love you', but it was still inexplicably soothing and calming and sweet and romantic all at the same time, and it gave Mina a lot of comfort about the two of them.

In that moment, she decided to herself, that she didn't need to hear those exact words.

At least not yet. Hearing them would just make her life, but she could survive without it, for now.

"C'mon! Let's go meet up with everyone!" Mina encouraged, picking up her pace and getting ahead of her blushing boyfriend, prompting him to run after her.

Obviously she still wanted to hear him say that he loved her. Nothing would make her happier… But for now, she could at least still keep being herself while she waited for him to find the nerve or whatever it was that was keeping him from saying it.

If he did love her.

* * *

"What this?! A bunch of Class 1A's students are getting extra lessons?! So some of you actually failed?!"

To put it as bluntly as possible, Neito Monoma was one of the most flat out crazy people that Mina had ever met. He was bitter, sarcastic and rude, and frankly, Mina was growing more and more concerned that he actually had some kind of mental instability that was driving him down this road of ridiculous bitterness.

He was completely insane.

How loud he was rivalled Bakugou's foul mouthed escapades and the likes when he was thoroughly pissed off, only Monoma just seemed to be entranced at his opportunity to mock their class in any way whatsoever. The fact that she was one of the students getting the extra lessons didn't particularly sit well with her either.

Even his own class was looking at him like he was some kind of lunatic. How did they even put up with him?

"Isn't that strange?! Isn't Class A supposed to be totally superior to Class B! How did that happen?!"

Before another word could be uttered, Class B's Class President Kendo came up behind him and promptly karate-chopped him unconscious with a strike to the back of the neck, before catching him and dragging his suitcase along with her. "Sorry about him."

"Good grief." Mina muttered while she watched the Copy Quirk user get dragged away by one of his classmates and towards the bus for class B. "I feel like he's got some screws loose…"

"Yeah…" Kaminari muttered in agreement while he ran his hand through his hair, scratching his head in absolute perplexion. Izuku stood between the two of them, finding himself only able to nod in agreement with the pair of them over Monoma's…. Unique personality.

As a bunch of other Class B students engaged in small talk with them, Mineta began to basically drool all over his arm at the sight of the multiple girls within the other class… Mina didn't even want to look at the guy. He was actually starting to freak her out.

"There's. So. Many. To. Choose. From."

"You're starting to cross a line here, dude." Kirishima commented, essentially having to drag the Pop-Off Quirk user away from the spot he had essentially filled with drool.

Which again, was disturbing. Even Izuku looked scarred, and he was friends with the guy. Then again, everyone who was in the Hero Course seemed to have a few oddities about them. Mineta was just more… Frank about his.

And had no shame about it.

As Class 1A's Class President, Iida was directing everyone onto the bus, requesting that they follow a specific seating plan that Aizawa had made for the class. Honestly, Mina was expecting her and Izuku to be sat together.

They weren't though. Instead, Izuku was by Iida, and she was with Hagakure.

Not that they were bad seats, at all. Both of them were sat next to friends, so it wasn't like they were terrible places to be seated. In fact, as far as Mina was concerned, her seat was pretty good. And Izuku was merely one seat behind, and on the other row, so it wasn't like they couldn't talk if they really wanted to. Plus they still had phones, so they could text if they wanted to. It was just a surprise, more than anything.

Both of them made their way to their respective seats, Mina immediately seeing that Hagakure had already beaten her to the window seat.

"There you are!" The invisible girl greeted, her arms shooting into the sky as she noticed Mina arrive. "I was wondering where the heck you were! Starting to think you weren't even gonna show up!"

"My mom gave us a ride." Mina explained, sitting down in her seat and knocking down the hand rest to her left. "Took us a bit longer to get here than if we took the train."

"And by we, you mean…"

"Me and Izuku. He stayed over at my house last night."

As she spoke, Izuku stepped into the bus, and made his way past Mina, giving her a look, but not one of any concern, politely waved at Hagakure, and made his way one row behind, and took his seat on the opposing row next to Iida.

While this happened, clapping would be heard from Hagakure, though she didn't seem to convey much due to her invisibility. "Oooh my word, Mina!"

"Calm down, Toru." Mina smiled, relaxing back into her seat. "Nothing like that happened. We just watched a movie and played some games."

"Come on Mina! Gimme some details!"

Before Mina got the chance to even tell Hagakure that she had just given her the full story, Todoroki entered the large vehicle and made his way to the back, followed by Aizawa. Attention quickly fell onto him, as he awaited their silence and full concentration. In his hand, was a clipboard, apparently detailed with all of the plans he had for today.

"Alright." He spoke, once everyone had calmed down. "We're going to be making our way to location that the training will be held at. The journey there shouldn't take us more than five and a half hours, depending on how much traffic there is present on the main roads. You'll be introduced to several of the Pro Heroes that we've contacted for help in your training, and after which, you'll all be admitted into your rooms."

"Wait, so where're we headed?" Kaminari threw his hand up and asked the question that had been in everybody's minds until this point. Even now, they still honestly had no idea where they were even supposed to be headed yet. Everyone was curious.

Since they were already on the bus, and there wasn't a chance of information being leaked, Aizawa finally gave up the location of their lodging. "We're going to be training near some mountains nearby. The Pros who we're working with own the land, so you'll be free to use your Quirks and practice as much as you're required to."

"So we're gonna be pretty far away from any cities?" Uraraka questioned from a few rows further down.

"That's correct."

Suddenly, virtually every single pair of eyes in the bus landed on Kaminari up at the front, and it took him a few seconds to realize what the hell they all wanted. It didn't take him long though. "Get lost, I'm not charging all of your crap for you! I'm not a freakin' human mobile charger!"

"That's like the only thing you can do without turning yourself into an idiot though."

"Quit messing with me, Jiro!"

Suddenly, as the class was accustomed to now, Aizawa's Erasure Quirk activated, causing all of his hair to stand on edge, and everyone instantly shut up, faced forward, and gave him their undivided attention, ceasing any sort of jokes or conversations that they were having.

Once they had all fallen silent, Aizawa deactivated his Quirk and let his hair fall back down around him. "If you've all got everything that you'll need, we'll be setting off once Class B confirms that they're ready to go."

No one made any comments that they needed to grab anything else, or that anything else was needed. "The first break we'll get will be in about two hours, so make sure that you're prepared for that.

Once again, no one moved, so Aizawa leaned over past the driver's shoulders and flipped on the headlights. In response, the bus from Class B did the same.

"Alright, we're clear." The Erasure Hero told the bus driver, giving him the go ahead to fire up the engine and to get out onto the main road.

* * *

"So you didn't do anything juicy at all?"

"I told you already, nothing like that happened."

Mina explained everything that she and Izuku had done the previous night in detail to Hagakure. While the see-through girl had been absolutely convinced that some scandalous had been going on, she had been somewhat disappointed to learn about the overall innocence of the night prior.

All the Acid Quirk user could think about in those moment was how she would freak out if she knew about Mina's more… Daring attempts to get closer to Izuku from earlier in the week. She didn't bring these up though, mostly because she didn't want Izuku to deal with any more embarrassment than he had to. Though talking about it did make her realize something… A bit odd that she hadn't noticed before.

"I… Don't think we even kissed once last night." She scoured her head, looking for any memories that might reveal one that she forgot, but found nothing. They hadn't actually kissed last night, at all.

Not that it was a particularly big deal. Just surprising to her.

"Well that's boring." Hagakure complained, leaning back in her seat. Her skirt flipped as she did so, indicating that she was crossing her legs as she did so. She had apparently been hoping for some sort of spicy conversation topic about the two of them being more intimate with one another, but hadn't gotten the chance to gossip with Mina about it. She decided to change the topic instead. "How're things with him, anyway? I'm guessing they've gotta be going pretty well if he stayed at your house."

What was she supposed to say to that, Mina wondered to herself.

How exactly was a person supposed to describe a relationship in which one half hadn't told the other that they loved them, but still made them feel like they were the queen of the world and considered them to be one of the best things in their life without outright saying that they loved them?

She was elated with Izuku's earlier statement, but it didn't fix the main issue she had…

"Yeah, I guess so…" Was the best that she could answer.

"You 'Guess so'?" Hagakure repeated, leaning forward once again and uncrossing her legs at that particular choice of words. "Not a lotta people let their boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever stay overnight if their relationship is 'I guess' good. Is something wrong?"

It was always hard to see if Hagakure's expressions conveyed any real concern, though her voice did seem to waver as she spoke to her friend. Being invisible as she was, it was all Mina had to go on when it came to determining the tone of Hagakure's questions and inquires.

To be honest though, when Mina thought about maybe getting a second opinion on her concerns… It did actually make her feel better about things. A second voice would help her confirm if she was just absolutely insane and thinking stupid stuff, or if she wasn't thinking about this hard enough and should be worried.

An outside opinion. It would help, she felt.

So the temptation to ask was very strong with the Acid Quirk user. The opportunity to vent some of her frustration with a friend that she was close to – It was tempting. Very tempting…

A temptation that honestly, Mina couldn't resist.

"…Hey, Toru, if you were dating someone, do you think that you'd want to hear them say 'I love you' at all? Like, is that something you'd consider to be important, or wouldn't it bother you?"

Remaining still for a few moments, presumably as a look of surprise and curiosity made its way onto her impossible to see face, Hagakure just stared at Mina, before she eventually leaned back into her seat, and her left sleeve raised as she moved her arm. "Uhh, I dunno to be honest. I've never dated someone before."

"But do you think you'd want to hear it?"

"I mean… I guess so." The Transparency Quirk girl answered hesitantly, audibly scratching her cheeks as she was questioned. "It'd feel nice just to know beyond any doubt that I was loved by that person…" Her speaking trailed off as she realized exactly what was being implied here. "Hold on, are you telling me that you've never said that to each other?"

Looking down at her lap, Mina smiled gently, not that she was sure why she was doing this. "Not exactly that, no. I've told him that I love him… He hasn't said it to me though."

"Ah." Hagakure seemed to stand up slightly in her seat, and looked behind her to see Izuku talking with Iida. She did so in such a way that anyone who was looking over at her wouldn't see her uniform rising above the seat she was sat in. She then propped herself back down before Mina could even comment on her actions. "Isn't Midoriya just, really awkward? I don't get what you're worried about."

"We've been together for months though. Isn't it a bit weird that he hasn't said it yet?"

"So, what, you think it means he doesn't like you?" Silence was the answer that Hagakure got, and she followed up on it very quickly. "You're kidding, aren't you?" From the action her arms took, Mina guessed that she was scratching her head in bewilderment. Her bag then started to unzip itself as it rose and began to hover in the air, as everything inside it began to move like they had individual thoughts and wills of their own.

Her friend's phone then hovered in the air, unlocked itself, and began to scroll through a bunch of the photos that were on the device. Hagakure's invisible fingers swiped left a few times, before she ended up passing the device over to the pink skinned girl to her side.

"Here, look through those."

Glancing at the phone, and then taking it into her hands, Mina did as was instructed of her. Immediately, she recognised the photo's that Hagakure was showing her. They were of their trip to the Kiyashi ward, before Izuku was taken hostage by Shigaraki, in the store just before the whole incident went down.

Swiping through the photos, of which Hagakure had a fair amount of, Mina her and Izuku from a third person perspective – Something she just hadn't seen before. One photo had Izuku inspecting a set of all-terrain shoes that she'd pointed out. Another one was with Iida and Kaminari, after the latter had tried to show off to some local girls with his Quirk, and Iida had harshly reprimanded him. Next was one with just the two of them sat down, taking stock of the things that they had already purchased.

The same pattern kept repeating itself over and over again, with every picture that Mina looked through. It was just more of the pair of them within each shot. "…Why do you even have so many photos of us, Toru?"

"Because the pair of you are freaking adorable – And don't tell me you haven't spotted it yet!"

"What"

"Look at Midoriya in all of them."

Mina did so, flipping through each of the photos again, and keeping a particular focus on her boyfriend as she did so. She wasn't exactly sure what it was that she was supposed to be looking for, and nothing stood out to her in particular.

"I don't get it."

"He's looking at you in nearly all of them!"

Glancing up at her invisible friend, and then back down to the phone, Mina discovered that Hagakure was absolutely right.

Par about six photos or so, in which something either ludicrous of hilarious had happened, Izuku's entire focus was basically on Mina. It was something that she'd barley even noticed in the moment, it being a subtle thing that, with her hyperactive personality, just hadn't taken into consideration, or even noticed. Izuku had been paying close attention to her in nearly every shot. Not in a sort of way that made her uncomfortable, at all.

Even in this format, the look in his eyes was one of adoration, affection. It was so clear to anyone that knew the green haired boy, and the sort of person he was, what he was looking at her like that for.

It was just that Mina had been too excited, and was normally way too energetic, to even notice.

"He adores you, Mina. Look at him, for God's sake, he's head over heels with you." Hagakure told the Acid Quirk user, tapping the image on her phone with a pencil in her hand as a substitute for her invisible finger. "Anyone could tell you that he loves you if they saw how you two were for like, ten minutes. I don't even think Bakugou could deny it even if he wanted to, and you know what he's like. Hell, I swear I've heard Todoroki make comments about how well you two go together."

Passing back the phone to its owner, Mina then turned around in her seat, twisting her body so she could look to see Izuku just a row behind and across from where she was sat. He was still engaged in conversation with the people behind him, and had a book in his hands, one that she assumed to be academic in nature. He had that look on his face that he had when he was apprehensive or worried, or something was happening around him. Indeed Iida was yelling at some of the people behind them to remain in their seats, which she guessed was the cause of his expression.

Eventually, he turned to face his front, and his girlfriend caught his eye. He gave her a warm smile, and waved towards her lightly, a gesture that she returned, before returning to sit back down in her natural position.

Was she just worrying over nothing? Did she really need to think about this sort of thing this much? Worry about if it was real or not?

No. she didn't.

Not yet, anyway. She knew she'd come to that conclusion earlier that day, but this time, she was more confident in her decision to do so now, more than ever. Her brain kept wandering back to that same question…. But she decided this time, to silence it for good.

This trip, she was just going to focus on enjoying herself, and not worrying about things like that.

And getting through those extra lessons, God help her.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, the bus had stopped, and they had been permitted to exit the vehicle in order to stretch their legs. When they stopped, they were greeted by two of the Professional Heroes that Aizawa had contacted to help out with this trip – Mandalay and Pixie-Bob, according to themselves, identifying themselves as a Hero Team known as The Pussycats.

As one could pretty much predict at this point, Izuku knew a fair amount of information regarding the Hero Team, just off of the top of his head. What interested Mina about the Team however was the fact that she and Izuku were still aiming for something like this. To become a team like this had been the goal of the entire Initiation thing they had gone through… She quickly became interested in learning what she could from the Hero Team….

And about half a minute later, they'd found themselves at the foot of the cliff they had stopped at, thrown down there by Pixie-Bob's Earth Flow Quirk, with the instructions 'Make your way through the Beast's Forest, get to your lodgings before noon, or you won't be given any food.'

Izuku spat out a mouthful of dirt, before he turned towards Mina to help her up. "You okay?"

"Considering we just got thrown off a cliff, I'm fine." She accepted his hand, and he pulled her back onto her feet. She dusted herself down, as everyone else did at the same time as her. "Is it just me, or does our school have like, a million of these sorts of places?"

"You're telling me. I don't even know where they get half the money for this stuff that they do." Kirishima commented, wiping some mud from his face as he did so.

"'Beasts Forest'? What the hell?..." Kaminari groaned, spitting out some dirt from his mouth as he spoke. "What kind of a name is that?"

No one was able to speak before, from behind the growth of leaves, vines, trees and bark, some sort of hideous, quadrupedal creature, that looked like some sort of evolutionary throwback with a Quirk thrown on, revealed itself from the insides of the forest, baring its rooted fangs towards the students, moving quickly, and without even a single sound to alert anyone who hadn't been watching.

The name of the forest quickly became apparent with the appearance of this creature. Home to, apparently, literal beats that defied the laws of nature as they were currently known. An unidentified creature that none of the students had ever seen before. It was aggressive, that much was certain. Anyone could tell that.

Some simply stood there in shock, while some exclaimed their surprise at what was in front of them. Others took a step back, their Quirks prepared for once the creature took a step too close. The person who made the first move was, surprisingly, Koda.

Armed with his Quirk, that would normally serve as the strongest weapon that the group had right now, he raised his voice and issued a politely spoken command. "Please, back down, creature. We mean you no harm."

"Koda?!" Mina simply responded in nothing but surprise at the first time she'd even heard the guy speaking. The only reason that she knew his Quirk was Animal Voice was because of the trial they'd had to go through on the first day of school. She hadn't heard it since.

And the creature apparently hadn't heard it either. Now targeting Koda, the enormous beast raised one of its bulky arms, and readied to attack the rocky-headed student, and eliminate him before moving onto the rest. Whatever the reason, Koda's Quirk simply had no effect on the beast.

Mina reacted quickly, activating her own Quirk and creating two handfuls of corrosive Acid, and stepping in the way of Koda before the creature got anywhere near the pair of them. Once the creature came within range, she would readily attack it, targeting the incoming limb, hoping to scare it away. "Get back, Koda!"

Before he could though, Iida, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Izuku all charged straight forward without any hesitation, unleashing their Quirks to their absolute limits. With a combined, single strike, the four of them utterly obliterated the creature before them, destroying it into ten thousand tiny pieces of dirt.

Dirt?...

"You two alright?!" Izuku called out once he'd landed, looking back at his girlfriend and his classmate.

In keeping with his generally quiet attitude, Koda just gave a thumbs up with his left hand, while wiping sweat off of his rocky forehead with his other hand, indicating that he was unharmed. Mina was a lot more vocal though. "What the hell was that thing?!"

"Some sort of dirt creation by the looks of it." Todoroki answered, kneeling down to pick up a piece of the creature that they'd just destroyed. As he held it up in his left hand, he applied a bit too much pressure to it, causing it to crumble into dry, soft, grain-like soil by his feet. "They aren't overly sturdy though. They are just dirt, after all."

"They must be something that Pixie-Bob made using her Quirk." Izuku analysed, looking around the remains of the creature. "She used her Quirk to manipulate the earth below us to throw us down here, and it looks like she also can use it to make these creatures…. If that's the case, then I think it's a safe call to make that we're going to encounter quite a few of these as we move through the forest." A final spark of electricity flew off of his body as he deceived his Full Cowl technique along with his Quirk.

"You think the entire forest is full of those things to fight?" Iida questioned, taking a look around the surrounding area for any more dirt creatures to come sneaking up behind them for a sneak attack.

"I'd have to guess so…"

The entire class collectively shuddered at the thought. They had an entire forest filled to the brim with creatures made of dirt, and with no other purpose in existence other than hammering them down to conquer if they wanted the simple luxury of being able to rest in a bed that night. It was going to require every single ounce of power that they had within their bodies to pull off this task.

It was going to take them far longer than any three hours. They all knew that already.


	33. The Beasts Forest

One thing that quickly made itself apparent to all of Class 1A as they fought like hell through the Beast's Forest, utilising their Quirks to the absolute maximum of their abilities against the dirt creations that Pixie-Bob made, as well as traversing the land and trying to make sure that they kept on track to the location they were given.

It was for absolute certain that they weren't going to be getting anywhere near their lodgings by noon. Not even close.

Maybe for Pro's - And that was a big maybe, depending on their Quirks and how familiar they were with the terrain - Getting there within three hours was possible. For these students, there was no way in hell. This place was like a living maze, filled with gargantuan beasts who only existed in any form whatsoever to try and block their path. Not to mention, just the sheer scope of what was in front of them.

Attack after attack after attack, the group had maybe one small break after the initial attack, before they'd all decided that they needed to get going, and since then, it had been one creature after another. That had been hours ago.

Pros, Mina decided, were filled with quite a variety of sadistic and quirky maniacs.

She came to this conclusion as she tangled with one of the beast creations herself, this one just as twisted and mangled as the one the classes strongest had taken down immediately, only this one had spiral-like horns, which Mina took almost like a personal challenge. Jirou and Kaminari were behind her, watching her back from another beast making its way up on them - Not that Mina was sure what the hell good Kaminari was going to be against literal dirt. This forest basically countered him perfectly, so he was pretty useless in this entire escapade. Not that it stopped him trying, mind, but he was with the Earphone Jack Quirk user.

So Mina decided to take this one on her own. Working with Izuku for as long as she had, she'd gained the experience and the act-before-thinking level of near idiotic confidence in herself to deal with this sort of threat. Stopping a Villain from attacking people she knew - That was one thing, but this was a whole other matter. Yet she didn't feel even the slightest tint of fear, apprehension, or even anxiety. She stood her ground, a smile on her face, ready to take her enemy on. Acid secreted from her palms and just over her wrists, and she stood, waiting to see what this barely sentient dirt, which was twice her size, would do. She tried to anticipate its movements, bouncing oh-so lightly on her legs as she did so, ready to move at a moment's notice.

As it turned out, the creature would throw a left armed hook towards her, with hands about the exact same size as the pink girl herself. Using her natural fitness and reflexes, Mina easily managed to skid out of the way without any risk to her person whatsoever. She then moved in, moving as fast as her legs would allow her to, getting in as close as she could to creature. One well-placed clomp of Acid at the torso of the creature, and it would crumble to nothing.

She closed the gap between her and said creature, aiming to land that solid his by making direct contact with it. The beast had strength and size, but it didn't have any particularly noteworthy speed, which under normal circumstances would give Mina an advantage.

This was a theory that was dashed quickly, however, when the dirt beast suddenly generated another muscular arm of earth from its stomach, reaching for the pink girl to grab her and toss her aside. It missed, Mina quickly stepping back and skidding along the ground, her hand gripping onto the dirt beneath her as she did so to slow her down.

Not that it was the weirdest thing that had happened all day, but Mina was still thrown off by it. None of the beasts had displayed anything even close to that sort of ability. They had just been cumbersome, slow, yet powerful beings, like elephants in a certain sense. What was the logic in this creature having that sort of power? Was it just to make the pupils lives more difficult? An added challenge? Perhaps that was some sort of attempt by the Pro Heroes Quirk to try and replicate what it would be like to fight Villains with unpredictable Quirks, but there was only so much that could be done with dirt...

Probably a bit of all of those options.

Either way, this beast seemed to be emulating some sort of limb growth replication Quirk that it would activate whenever Mina got too close.

But now, the horned girl knew what to expect, so she attacked again.

Pushing herself forward with her grounded hand, she charged straight for the beast, this time ready to counter attack whatever came her way. The beast let out a grizzled roar as she got closer, and created another one of its dirt limbs from its body, attempting to create an arm and hand with which to claw at her once more. This time though, with careful timing and athletic skill, Mina dodged the limb by a mere centimetre, slammed her acid-coated palms along the artificial limb, and ran it straight along the creatures newly developed arm until she hit the torso, pushing her corrosive attack as far into the creature as she possibly could. One throaty, dry scream later, and the beast began to fall into a pile of dirty rubble. It marked the sixteenth creature she'd defeated, and, if she counter the ones she had helped conquer as a group, the thirty third.

"Die!"

Across the open section that the group was situated within, Bakugou's explosions obliterated another one creatures with ease, setting one off with the same force to that of a grenade. His attack scattered chunks of the creature he defeated all over his surroundings. That, and his flashy and loud Quirk brought Mina's eyes directly in his direction, since he had created a blast that was towards her direction, so the chunks of dirt came landing around her. She had to protect her eyes with her forearms as they landed, some hitting her chest and stomach, and a few specks getting into her hair.

Just behind him, Mina saw the pale green electricity crackling from Izuku's Full Cowl technique, hanging in the air for brief moments as he leaped from tree to tree. Launching himself from a particularly sturdy trunk, he lurched forward fist-first, with such speed that he tunnelled straight through his target, leaving a hole straight through the torso of the dirt behemoth before it even had the chance to fall apart and disintegrate into nothing.

He, Iida, Todoroki and Bakugou had been totally on point when it came to combatting the dirt creatures, unleashing their Quirks and hammering away what stood in their way. The strongest in the class, the ones with the experience when it came to Villains. The ones that knew what it was that they were doing.

At least, that was what it looked like to Mina. Like everyone else, she knew about Izuku and his groups run in with the Hero Killer. When someone went toe-to-toe against a murderer like Stain, they were of course not going to hesitate against anything that came afterward. Izuku's group proved that much. None of them had it in them to hold back. And as much as she disliked the guy, Mina couldn't begin to deny Bakugou's skill and talent when it came to violence and using his powerful Quirk. Plus, he was the victim of that Sludge Villain incident just over a year ago. That was something only she and Izuku knew. So he had to have that same 'Do-or-die' instinct about him.

Everyone else was fighting around them as well, all fighting off a huge influx of opponents that had ambushed them from all sides in the clearing, aiming to catch them by surprise. The class had reacted quickly, and taken to defending themselves, battering each one of them as they came at them, but those four were leading the charge. Everyone else was fighting hard, but the gap between them and everyone else was so clear that it wasn't even funny. Mina herself wasn't lagging behind either. She was keeping up with them, the top of the class, though it was taking all that she had. Through her encounter with Overgrow, and the Hero Team Initiation, her practical training was starting to kick in, sending her into automatic as she fought against the enemy.

With an opponent down each, she, Jirou and Kaminari all moved towards Bakugou, Izuku, Hagakure, Kirishima and Yaoyarozu, right across from the open space and were covering the groups right side from being flanked. The group seemed to have just cleared out the area, with dirt mounts all around them that acted like the corpses of defeated foes.

The closest person to them as they made their way over was Kirishima. His skin was hardened by his Quirk, and his fingers were pointed at the end, though as they approached him, he deactivated his Quirk with an audible chink, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The cuts and scratched he received from the attacks he endured when he was using his power to defend himself were transferred onto his regular, default body, though he didn't seem to suffer any pain from them. "Man, the Pro's aren't holding anything back..."

"Of course the Pro's aren't gonna fucking hold anything back." The Explosion Quirk user responded sharply, pulling his hands in and out of a claw-like grip on nothing, his hands still smouldering from the effects of his power. "There's no damn point otherwise."

Hagakure seemed to be bent over, her hands resting on her knees as she attempted to recapture her breath. Mina did have to question - What the heck had she even done in the fight? She didn't have the first clue of what Hagakure was capable of. Was she some kind of Kung-Fu master underneath that invisibility? The signs she'd been in a battle were there, though they were only clear because of her clothing, all scratched and dirty.

"You doin' okay, Tooru?" The Acid Quirk user questioned her friend, making sure that she was doing okay before anything else.

Her arm moved slightly, followed by a simple explanation, broken up by brief pauses for the invisible girl to get her breath back. "I'm... Giving you a thumbs up right now... I'm too tired to do anything else."

From behind Bakugou, Izuku came into vision as he returned from the location he had been at, still some residual electricity crackling from his body, the after effect of his Quirk in full force. Dusting some of the earth from his shoulders, he focused his attention right now on the group forming just in front of him. "Is everyone alright?"

His question of care was answered with little more than passive aggression from his childhood former friend, who simple growled at Izuku, looking like he'd thrown a gasket, though that wasn't anything new whatsoever for Bakugou. It'd be a more surprising day when he actually cracked a smile for once. The very idea of Izuku showing any sort of concern for the blond haired boy seemed to just anger him. He simply stormed off to the other side of the field, without a word.

"Alright, so Bakugou's fine then." Mina commented dryly as he walked away. As she did so, she began to brush her palms against one another, removing the dirt that she'd gathered from her brawl. She then stretched her arms and allowed the joints within the limbs to click, before turning to her boyfriend and the rest of the group.

What she saw quickly made her widen her eyes in fear.

Behind Izuku, without any sound whatsoever being made, the dirt of the defeated creatures was beginning to compile itself once again. The earth with which their bodies were made began to meet, building itself up, layer by layer. It began to take form, right behind Izuku, at speeds to quickly, and with barely any sound, no one even managed to see it until the last second.

Now towering over Izuku, while the green haired boy was still completely oblivious to the threat now behind him, was a four armed behemoth, twice the size of anything they'd faced before, parts of each of the previously fallen opponents all frankensteined together, like out of some sort of horror movie. A huge jaw, muscular reinforcements, spiral horns, and a gargantuan size to boot.

The only reason Izuku noticed himself was because it started to block out the sunlight due to its size.

It was Hagakure that called it out before anyone else did, having seen it behind their classmate first, and before anyone else had the chance to react. "Watch it, Midoriya! Behind!"

Mina was the first to actually make a reaction of any sort. Moving without even thinking about doing it, her hand quickly generated a huge amount of her strongest possible acid, a concoction that even stung her own hand and the skin on her wrists and forearms due to the sheer corrosive nature of it. Surprisingly, weight came next, something that rarely happened when Mina used her Quirk. Even the colour of the Acid was different to the normal pale-green-transparent concoction that she typically made - A side effect of what she was creating. The sheer amount of the stuff she generated left her arm feeling like it was being weighed down with a metal-based dumbbell, though she still managed movement, through her refusal to give an inch, she still moved with absolute ease. Her body moved far quicker than ever before, taking a large step forward and slinging her attack like she was serving a baseball pitch, with pinpoint accuracy.

Her Acid struck against her targets chest, causing it to roar as its outer layer was corroded and eroded away. Amazingly though, that didn't appear to be enough to destroy the being, but merely weaken it. In spite of the sheer dangerous nature of the Acid Mina made, it just wasn't enough to totally put the thing out of commission.

After a brief stagger, the monster had recovered and had poised its claws, ready for another strike.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" That wasn't enough? The pink girl just stared for a moment, watching this absolute demon prepare for its next attack. The Acid she had thrown at it was the single most powerful one she could manage - She herself wasn't immune to its effects! - But it just proved to not be enough!

"Back up, back up!" Kirishima called out, getting in front of the rest of his classmates as they pulled back. Using his Quirk, he acted as a shield, in an attempt to defend them.

Just a mere second after he'd managed to activate his power, he was met with a fierce slash by earth claws, striking him with equal force to that of a fire engine. The Hardening Quirk user took the hit head-on, though it didn't stop him from feeling the full blast, even through the armour his power gave him.

Though with gritted teeth, he stood his ground. "Nhng! Someone take this thing down! I'm not gonna be able to hold back another one of those attacks!"

Activating his own power, Izuku took a leap up towards the head of the mammoth of a dirt creature, and added a spin to his movements, before unleashing a devastating back-fist strike, straight to the neck of the beast. His entire fist and forearm skimmed straight through the neck of it with ease, like a knife through water, decapitating it with absolute ease.

Only then did the beast finally die.

Once he landed, Izuku turned towards the red haired classmate, whom had just deactivated his own Transformation Type Quirk. "Kirishima, you okay?!"

"Haaah... Yeah, I'm fine." The sounds his body made indicated the last of his hardening had just worn off, after which he allowed himself to fall down into a crossed legged position on the ground. He held up his right arm and looked at the damage done to it, his red eyes following the scratches and scars. "I think my Quirk is at its limits right now though."

"I don't see any blood..." Hagakure commented, apparently inspecting their battered classmate. "I don't think you're too badly injured."

"You guys alright?!"

Running towards the smaller group, the remainder of their classmates quickly converged on the latest scene of battle, wanting to inspect the damage done to their comrades, and attracted by the sounds of battle. Ojiro was the one who had called out to the group, and was the first one to actually arrive there, followed closely Mineta and then by Todoroki.

"I think we're all okay." Yaoyorozu informed the Martial Arts Hero-in-Training, creating some ointment for various wounds using her Quirk. "That last attack caught a lot of us off guard, though."

Both groups began to interact with one another, tending to those who had injuries that needed attention, which were thankfully limited to just Kirishima in need of some disinfectant and cleaning, and perhaps some ointment to help him deal with the pain, Sato, who had taken a few hits due to his Quirk lowering his responsive abilities, and Sero, who had overused his Quirk and was suffering from dry skin. Yaoyorozu, Jiro and Hagakure went about doing that, while Todoroki, Uraraka, Iida and Bakugou all went about on a defensive layout, shielding the group and watching out for any further attackers.

As they all went about their business though, and before Izuku could go and join the watchers on the perimeter, Mina grabbed hold of his arms and tugged him over slightly to the side. While Izuku would normally have protested getting dragged aside, he had a curiosity about what Mina had done with her Quirk moments prior.

Plus, he was worried about the burns on her arms, and wanted to bring attention to them the first chance he got.

"Izuku, you okay?" Mina winced, once she'd brought him just a little bit away from everyone else. "My Acid didn't hit you or anything? Or did that... Huge thing?"

A lot had just gone down, Izuku supposed, scratching the back of his head as he formulated an answer. His brain already had a couple of thoughts about the situation right now, and only his girlfriend had the answer to one of the ones that he was most curious about. Shaking his head, Izuku assured her he was okay. "I'm fine Mina. You didn't hit me... Though, speaking of that... That Acid looked different to other times I've seen you use your Quirk. What was that?"

Now it was Mina's turn to scratch the back of her head, but she quickly stopped, hissing as her arms stung up as they brushed against her hair. "Ow... Its uh, It's kind of a Special Move I've been wanting to try out." She explained, shaking her arms in an effort to get rid of the pain.

"Special move?"

"Yeah. Well, it's more an idea that I've been toying with that just sorta worked." The pink girl nodded. "I just make my Acid as corrosive as I can. Makes things a lot easier to beat than my regular stuff... Only thing is, it hurts me as well." She shrugged as she explained, showing the wounds that her own attack had caused her. "Not exactly much good if I hurt myself with it."

"It's an impressive move... But..." Conflicted, Izuku folded his arms. Truth be told, it was actually a pretty good idea, if they were talking about a finishing move, or an all-or-nothing type of situation. Mina's Quirk was powerful on the basic level, and she was capable of controlling the level of corrosiveness her power unleashed. Pushing it to the absolute maximum... It opened up a lot of routes for her. Though the downside being self-harm...

It was a strong move. A very good one at that...

Though Izuku certainly didn't like the idea of Mina having to hurt herself to use it. At all. He already had a very clear idea regarding how painful using ones Quirk, only to have it backfire and hurt its user was. One For All battered him every time he used it, for months. If he could avoid it, he wasn't going to go back to that method of combat. It was too self-destructive in hindsight. He'd pushed his own powers too far...

And if there was one thing he wanted to avoid, it was Mina going down that same route of pain in order to use her own Quirk.

But if hypothetically, she was in a bad situation where that was her only get around...

Then it was worth looking into.

He was stuck between suggesting she refine it... Or telling her to stay clear of it. Both options had merit... And both had nasty consequences.

Seeing what that ultimate Acid could do up close... It convinced Izuku that if she really put herself to it, she could beat even Todoroki in combat if she wanted to. And to throw that away...

"...Go see Yaoyorozu about those wounds. She's handing out some sort of treatment for wounds. She'll probably make you some bandages if you ask." He told her, deciding he'd discuss the move with her later on. It was a worthwhile discussion having... Once he'd thought about it some more.

* * *

Class A arrived at their lodgings in tatters, beaten and battered in every single aspect imaginable - Physical, mental, and Quirk wise. The last few hours had been nothing but a slog, a forced march through all manners of hell. Creature attack after creature attack, and all manner of other obstacles in their way thanks to the Earth Flow Quirk of Pixie-Bob's, including moving floors, walls blocking off the most direct routes, traps, and a whole other manner of ways of messing with the students that they hadn't even noticed.

Every inch of Izuku and Mina both felt the throbs of pain coursing throughout their systems. Of the two, Izuku was the worse one off, since he'd been in the thick of it much more than Mina had, and his Quirk relied on physical contact, not long-range emission like Mina's did. He was covered in dirt, head to toe, as was Mina, though she was probably one of the better ones off in all of 1A. Like her comrades, she was dirty and hammered down by combat, but she was in relatively good shape when put next to everyone else. She didn't feel it though. Like everyone else, she was absolutely exhausted.

Upon arrival, Pixie-Bob, Mandalay, and Aizawa were waiting at the entrance to the building that they would be staying in. A fairly large building, they noted, big enough to fit easily another forty students outside of them and 1B. Once they escaped the clutches of the forest, their first glimpse of human contact outside one another was their homeroom teacher finally pressing the stop function on a stop watch.

Which felt like an added insult to everyone there.

"We made it..." Mina managed to say to her boyfriend, taking in sharp, sharp breaths as she did so. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to remain stood up for much longer. Unsure, she used him as a pole to lean on, wrapping her arm around the back of his neck. "We finally made it..."

The green haired boy said nothing, focusing on catching his breath, and maintaining his balance thanks to her added weight, more.

"It goes without saying, but you didn't make it for lunch." The Pro Hero Pixie-Bob declared in response, her paw-gloved hands resting on her hips. She almost seemed to be taunting the students as she stood there, looking pleased with herself, and the trouble that her Quirk had caused the students.

"Like hell that'd take three hours!..." Sero groaned, rubbing his canister-shaped shoulders in an effort to numb the pain he was feeling.

"I meant that that was how long it would have taken us to complete it." Mandalay said, looking smug, though she expressed serious impress at the skills of the students in front of her.

"To be honest, we actually expected it to take you a whole lot longer, mew mew mew.." the Earth Flow Quirk user giggled in a manner similar to that of a cat, an odd action considering that she had no obvious adaptations that were feline in any way. The only explanation that was viable at this point was that she was intentionally putting on a cat-themed persona, for whatever reason. "Though you did take out the Dirt Beasts I made for you pretty well…. Pretty good, especially you five."

The cat obsessed Hero pointed towards the grouped up strongest in the class – Izuku, Iida, Todoroki and Bakugou, and she also included Mina in her overall assessment as well. It caused the pink skinned girl to blink a couple of times, and to stare at the blonde woman.

"My guess is that you've all had past experiences that helped you to act, right?" The Pro Hero quickly noted, before she began to feel shivers running down her spine. In a truly bizarre action, and in a real feline fashion, she suddenly began to shoot mouthfuls of spit at Bakugou and Todoroki, patting at them repeatedly. "I'm marking them as mine! I'm gonna have some fun in three years time!"

This woman's eccentric behaviour earned her quite a few stares from all of the class, and Aizawa as well, who seemed to be in a mild amount of surprise himself though this did translate to him just widening his eyes a little bit. Turning to the other Pussycat member in the room and muttering something in conversation to her. As the pair of them conversed, Pixie-Bob went down the line to Iida, 'Marking him as hers for later on'.

"She's worried about being a spinster her entire life." Mandalay openly explained to Aizawa, disregarding any sort of whispering or muttering that the Erasure Quirk user may have been doing. Apparently, whatever the issue was with Pixie-Bob, no one within her team was particularly quiet about it.

"A spinster?" Izuku questioned, without even thinking about what it was that he was saying. "Are you really that old – Mmf!"

His sentence was cut short by the paws of what was increasingly looking like a deluded older woman hit him in his face before he could utter a single other word that she didn't like. "I'm not old! Not at all!"

"And that would be why you don't comment on a girl's age, Izuku." Mina commented, before turning her attention back to Pixie-Bob. The Pro Hero looked ready to mark Izuku before Mina quickly put her arm in the way to stop her, much to Izuku's gratitude, and Pixie-Bob's confusion. "Uh, could you please not do that to my boyfriend, thanks?"

Frankly, Mina wasn't too keen about Izuku being covered in spit, or being 'claimed' by a Pro Hero, even if it was in jest.

For a second, Pixie-Bob just stood and stared right back at Mina, before she then turned to look at Izuku. Then back to Mina. Then back to Izuku. Back to Mina, and then Izuku. Back to Mina, and then Izuku.

To Mina, then Izuku.

From Izuku, back to Mina.

And then she slammed her hands on either side of her face and let out a cats imitation of a shrill shriek. She looked an inhumane mixture of disappointment, disposition, and outright horror at the sentence Mina had just uttered. "How, so young?! One of the best kittens has already been claimed by another one of the best kittens!" She then began to hiss at Mina, like she was trying to start some sort of cat fight between her and the horned girl, as though they were a pair of alley cats fighting over table scraps.

She was even clawing towards Mina, like she was trying to threaten her. To be honest, Mina wasn't sure if she'd seen anything more insane in her life.

"Well done, Ashido, Midoriya." Tsuyu commented from behind them, her tongue slightly stuck out as she did so. "Looks like you've broken a Pro Hero."

* * *

 **Sorry for this chapter going out late, but I have three reasons for it – 1. My girlfriend came from Canada and I've been spending time with her. 2. I went to Manchester comic con, and 3. I've been sick. I tried to do right by this chapter, damn it! I did what I could!**

 **So time for some quick notes – It's a bit late, but Happy Birthday to Mina – 30th July, after all! Here's hoping this year she gets the screen time she deserves.**

 **Speaking of Manchester Comic Con and Mina, I actually saw a pretty cool Mina cosplay – On the VERY slim chance you're reading this, and you saw someone in a Midoriya shirt wave at you with a red-haired girl near a pharmacy and you were with a group that had a Dabi, a Shinsou, a Bakugou and an Uraraka – Hey! Loved the cosplay! Woulda asked for a photo, but sickness.**

 **In fact, if any of you were at Manchester Comic Con this weekend, lemme know! It'd be cool to know if any of you readers were actually there.**

 **For those of you worrying (Which is actually quite a few. Good to know you care) I'm pretty okay now. I'll be better with some rest. Speaking of which, I'm going to get some now. Sorry that chapters a bit short and insubstantial, but I did my best considering. Hope you enjoyed ^_^**


	34. The Lodges

"Damn Mina, even the Pro's noticed that you're getting tougher."

Not that it had been out of any particular concious choice that the class had made, but as they all made their way to the bus to collect their luggage as instructed by Aizawa, the girls had all ended up together, about five meters ahead of the boys. Mina and Hagakure were up at the front, and the invisible girl was complimenting the compliment that Pixie-Bob had given her, before she'd started hissing at her.

It had all been very complimentary, according to Hagakure.

Still, Mina had been left with the distinct impression that the Earth Flow Quirk user wasn't particularly fond of her. Given her marital status and insecurities... It felt very much like the Pro was jealous of the pink girls relationship with one of the boys she wanted to claim as hers.

The Professional's eccentricities aside though, Mina was grateful for the praise that she had received, from sources outside of her boyfriend. It felt good to be recognised when it came to her abilities, to know that she was actually progressing down the right route. It gave her more drive and motivation to try even harder to succeed. The natural response to praise that anyone could understand.

Even though she was grateful though, Mina wasn't entirely certain about what she had done to receive such praise. In truth, it didn't feel like she'd actually improved all that much. Her skills were still the same as every, and her Quirk was just as strong as it had ever been. She had her new idea regarding her damage output regarding her powers, but it was still in the testing phase, and subjected her to serious recoil damage. Was that particularly worthy of note?

Then again, Izuku's entire original usage of One For All had been nothing but shattering his own bones, until he found a way to unleash the power in smaller, less powerful but infinitely more manageable actions. Kind of the exact opposite of her current dilemma.

"I guess hanging out with Midoriya must've taught you a few things." Jirou commented. "You've been improving quicker than anyone else lately."

"You think so?" Mina asked, her eyebrows raising, and her head turning to face the Earphone Jack Quirk user. "I don't really have any of the experience he had though."

"Still enough for the Pro's to take notice." Tsuyu added on, catching up to the group that she lagged behind, and appearing from behind Jirou. "You two are doing Hero Team training too, aren't you? You must have gotten a lot of practice during that."

Mina hadn't really taken any of that into consideration. The truth of the matter there was that she mostly just did things as they happened, going with the flow of things. Actually looking back, all the various accumulations of practice, knowledge she'd absorbed just by being around Izuku, in addition to her own training... She did actually have a lot under her belt.

Still, she'd failed the End of Semester examination. Perhaps that had been a shot to her self confidence, without her ever even realising it. She didn't feel like it had upset her much beyond the now revealed lie of not going on the Summer Camp, though maybe it had hit her harder than she'd expected, and everything that had gone down with Shigaraki had just pushed it aside in her head.

Basically, she didn't even really think she was even in the same league, combat wise, as Izuku, as Todoroki, or Iida or Bakugou. Even though she very clearly was. She'd always been one of the class's stronger students, but compared to the best, it felt like she couldn't hold a candle to them. No one could.

The Pro's disagreed though, apparently.

And so did her classmates.

The girls group made it to the bus first, and Jirou hit the button on the side of the vehicle that opened up the side compartment, where everyone had loaded their bags and suitcases. A single, very feminine bag complete with pins began to float out from the pile, within arms reach of the resident floating standard female Yuuei uniform. "So, you and Midoriya, you're trying to be like these 'Pussycats', or whatever they're called, right?" Hagakure questioned, slinging her backpack over her visually nonexistent shoulders. In doing so, she also made her way to the side, out of the way of their other classmates, but remaining close to the girl with pink skin.

"Yeah, pretty much I suppose." Mina replied, reaching into the pile of bags and pulling her backpack out of the bus, filled even more to the brink with customised pins and patches to the point barely any of the original black fabric that made up the bag were even visible. Izuku's bag was right next to hers, so she grabbed his too. She couldn't find his suitcase though. "Only less cat themed and a little less eccentric."

"You know this is you and Midoriya we're talking about, right?"

"I think it's kinda fun!" Uraraka commented from the side. Just hovering besides her, her suitcase was gently starting to lower itself to the ground as she brought her finger-pads together, thanks to her Quirk doing all the heavy lifting for her. "They're a pretty interesting group, don't you think?"

"It'd be more fun if Pixie-Bob didn't seem to hate me." Joked the horned girl with a smile, though there was some truth in what she was saying. She had picked up on the distinct feel that the Pro wasn't fond of her for having a boyfriend at her age, while she was - According to the other Pro Hero Mandalay - Struggling to find anyone.

The whole cat theme thing probably wasn't helping her case. Nor was spitting on people, marking them, or clawing them. Or hissing at other people who were close to the people she wanted to mark.

That aside though, Mina did agree that they were a rather quirky group. It was kind of entertaining to see them all in action. It was amusing to watch, and may e that was the point. To reassure the people they saved by putting on a show of eccentricity. Seeing a Hero Team with some personality to them would certainly help people feel at ease, Mina supposed. Lot of people felt reassured by someone like All Might being on the scene, and he was as expressive as they came. It was probably part of the reason why he was number one.

"Hey, c'mon, will you guys hurry up?! I'm starving back here!"

Having gotten caught up in the conversation that they were having, the girls had unwittingly caused a line up for the luggage compartment. Behind them were about fourteen equally hungry and battered boys all waiting to grab hold of their various bags and cases, so they could move them into their rooms and finally get hold of some food.

Though she had to be agree - Food, at this point, sounded like an absolute Godsend to Mina right about now. Just like everyone else, she was so hungry she was about three minutes away from just passing out on the spot. She hadn't ever felt more motivated to unpack anything more in her entire life. Fishing out her and Izuku's suitcase, the latter of which had somehow managed to get tossed over to the total opposite side of the storage compartment, and pulled out away from the growing crowd of students.

From the quickly growing and thickening crowd, the horned girl spotted Izuku right at the back, characteristically too timid to shove past anyone in any way, and had been too slow on the draw to quickly get to the front before anyone else could. He would just patiently wait for an opening to grab his gear.

Or he would have done if Mina hadn't grabbed his stuff for him. "Hey, Izuku, I got your stuff here!" She held up his yellow backpack as she waved and called him over, so he'd see what she had for him.

The bright colours of his bag caught the green haired teenagers eyes. He broke off from the group and made his way over to his girlfriend, a small smile on his face. Mina handed him his rucksack and suitcase with a smile of her own. "Thanks, Mina."

"No prob!" She cheerfully responded, getting onto her tiptoes for a brief moment before she dropped back down again. Inexplicably, she was in a better mood after the conversation she had just left with the other girls. A certain level of reassurance and vented frustration had been achieved, and her overall mood had improved by a nice margin.

No other words were uttered before Mina spotted someone whom she hadn't even noticed before, stood, from her perspective, just a few meters behind Izuku. It was a child, who couldnt be much older than five, judging by his size. He wore very plain clothing, with a hat that had metallic horns at the forehead. Black hair, and hands balled up into fists by his sides.

Something about this kid stood out to the pink girl though. Being around younger kids was something that Mina was used to, so she at least had a general idea on how most kids, at least the ones she knew who were that age, or even much older, like her own siblings, were supposed to act. They were supposed to be carefree, joyous. Hyperactive too. Normally once wouldn't stand around in just one spot, at least in her experience.

This kid though, not only was he firmly routes to the spot he stood on, he was glaring. Right at the Acid Quirk user, and beyond her, at every single student that was currently unpacking their stuff. Like he resented them for being here. No, actually, the distaste in his eyes seemed to be something far deeper than that. Intense. Disgust.

She'd seen a lot of anger in her younger siblings, but that was more out of childish rage, stoked further by immaturity and irrationality. This kid though... There was something more there.

Frankly, he was intimidating Mina a bit. Like Mara did when he was on the warpath.

"Hey, Izuku, you see that kid over there?" She questioned, nudging at his shoulder as she did so, to get him to turn and look at what she was seeing. Izuku turned as he was physically instructed, and met with the kids eyes as he turned his head. For a moment, he didn't say a word. "He's just been staring at us for a while now. Kinda creeping me out."

"He was with The Pussycats when we got off of the bus." Izuku informed her, not taking his eyes off the small child. This caused Mina to blink twice and look over at him as he spoke. She hadn't even noticed the kid back then, more focused on attempting an in-vain escape to flee the exercise before being shoved into the Beast's Forest by the moving ground thanks to the Hero Team's blonde member. "I guess he has to be with them. Maybe he's one of their kids or something."

"Excuse me?" Interrupted by a mature female voice to the side, the Pro Hero Mandalay approached the two of them, far more relaxed and refined than the erratic Pixie-Bob had done moments prior. As far as the rationality of Professional Team went, she seemed to be the person to speak to. "It's Ashido and Midoriya, isn't it?"

Both the teenagers nodded in confirmation. "How'd you know our names?" Mina questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

"Erasure-Head showed me the register." A simple answer came, and one that made the most sense. She'd probably been revising the names during the wait they had until the class made it here. "I just felt like I should let you know, Pixie-Bob is a bit eccentric, but she doesn't actually dislike you for your relationship. Please try not to take it personally."

"Oh, it's okay." Of course, Mina was a bit weirded out by the Earth Flow Quirk users irregularities, but she didn't honestly believe there was any genuine malice towards her or Izuku on the part of the Professional cat obsessed Hero. She joked, but she didn't seriously think that there was any reason to fear Pixie-Bob at all.

She was a member of Yuuei. Practically everyone was an eccentric.

The brunette sighed, apparently out of relief, and looked at the pair of them. She then looked ofer to the left, where she saw that her partner had pulled aside Iida, Todoroki and Bakugou, and was giving them a similar talk. She still seemed to be 'Marking' them as she did so, incurring the anger of a spiky haired boy, who seemed to be just a short fuse away from damning her status as a Pro and shoving her away with his Quirk. Mandalay could only sigh once more, and smile in amusement and exasperation at her co-worker. "The both of us are genuinely impressed by the two of you and how you worked together. Erasure tells me that you've had a fair amount of real world experience, and that you both want to become a Hero Team together."

Sharing a small glance with one another, Izuku and Mina both nodded towards the Hero. "Thats right." Izuku spoke this time. "We were... Hoping to learn as much about how Hero Teams work as possible while we're here."

The dedication that he showed off along with his girlfriend seemed to impress the older woman, whom showed a smile at his words. With the concept of a Hero Team slowly becoming more and more obscure as time went on, and the age of Solo Heroes had come full swing into society, seeing a young couple who desired to join the small ranks of the previously esteemed Hero Teams was something that warmed the heart of the middle aged woman.

"Also... We were wondering..." Turning his gaze back to the child, whom was now headed for the entrance to the building, Izuku brought the conversation back to the point of interest he and Mina had held onto just seconds ago. "Does that kid belong to anyone in your team?"

Mandalay's expression fell to one of neutrality as she looked at the child, before returning to the two students. "Ah, that's actually my nephew." Her voice raised suddenly, so the young child would hear her. "Kota! You should come and say hello to everyone!" The rest of the Yuuei pupils also hearing her, and now looking over in the general direction was an unintended side effect of her call. Still, it made the kid, now known as Kota, stop in his tracks. "You'll be spending the next week together, after all."

Kota turned his head to look at the Heroes in training with a mixture of hostility and fury that they were even here. Beyond his very obviously young age were the eyes of a person who had a lot of pain held up within his heart, that he masked with hate. He didn't take a step towards the students, instead taking the opportunity just to glare at each and every one of them.

"Kid seems pretty intense." Mina muttered underneath her breath. She already could tell he wasn't like most kids his age, just from her own experiences with younger children. Something had happened to this kid, she was willing to bet, that had affected the way he acted.

It might have happened years ago. It might have happened weeks ago, or even just yesterday. Whatever the case was, the teenage girl just struggled, beyond all rhyme lr reason, to tear her eyes from Kota's gaze.

Izuku didn't just stare back however. Instead, he made his way over towards the black haired and eyed individual, and bent down to his level. While Kota expressed annoyance and hostility, Izuku showed a friendly smile, and held out his hand for the kid to shake. To Izuku, it was possible that the kid was just awkward or shy. He was used to the feeling himself, so naturally, he was empathetic.

He spoke in as soft, kind, and calm a manner as he could, in an effort to make the child feel more comfortable around him. "It's nice to meet you Kota." He politely greeted. "My name is Izuku Midoriya. I'm training to be a Hero with Class 1-A -"

The politeness and good natured was thrown back into the green haired boy's face, when Kota simply launched a straight forward strike with his fist - Straight at Izuku's groin. The kid didn't hold back in the slightest. Even the furtherest person away from the impact site was about twenty meters away, and the sound was crisp and clear to them as it was to Mina and Mandalay, stood just a few feet from the occurrence.

A clear, loud, smack that rang through everyones ears. Those closest to the sound reacted first.

"Holy - Izuku!" Mina was pretty sure her eyes shot as wide open as her boyfriends when she saw what happened, more out of shock than anything. With speed that rivalled her performances in the forest, she ran over towards her now collapsed boyfriend, not that she was too sure what on Earth she was supposed to do to comfort him in his pain. "What the hell, kid?!"

"Kota, what'd you do that for?!"

Turning to send a ferocious glare at the green haired teenager he'd assaulted, the pink skinned girl who had rushed to help him, his aunt, and everyone else in the nearby vicinity, Kota said the first words that anyone there had heard him say all day.

Those words were a cold, spiteful, "I can't stand jerks who wanna be Heroes."

Ceasing his squirming for just a moment, Izuku looked at the angry child, who stormed inside the building quickly after his outburst. Just for a second, before letting out another groan in pain.

"Are you alright, Izuku?!" Mina asked, while she tried to help him to sit upright. Aside from trying to make him comfortable, she struggled to figure out what else she could do.

"Pfft. Cute kid."

Bakugou's voice.

Because her back was to him, Mina couldn't see him. In her head though, she could already see his face though, a mental image of the blonde loudmouth making itself at home in her mind. She heard him laughing at Izuku's pain despite her lack of visual in him, and frankly, she wasn't even remotely surprised at his response.

That didn't mean she liked it one damn bit.

"You're telling me you don't see any resemblance?" That voice belonged to Todoroki.

It was at this moment that Mina actually turned around to face the Explosion Quirk User, to see him quickly throw his own head towards Todoroki, armed with a list of insults and harsh words for the bi-hair coloured student. "Fuck off! I don't want to hear any of that crap from someone who threw their match!"

"Oh. Sorry." No one could honestly tell if the Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user was serious about his apology or not. After learning that a lot of his cold treatment to other people just came from the fact he'd been isolated for a lot of his childhood, the question had become more of if he was actually trying to be intimidating, was being serious, or just being awkward.

Either way, Mina kept glaring, straight at Bakugou.

And once he'd received that apology from Todoroki, his head returned to its natural position, his red eyes immediately locked with the glare from the horned girls black and gold ones.

Neither of them spoke, or really moved as the daggers in their eyes locked together in a fierce stalemate. With how Bakugou was, his staring at people like he wanted to kill them was nothing new to anyone, but he could still make people shake in their boots if he seriously wanted to. Mina on the other hand was someone who rarely ever seemed to express anger outside of serious situations where it was called for, or emotional scenarios in which she felt personal involvement, both of which were a rarity.

Seeing her now though, her anger was evident, her glare fierce. To anyone who saw her, she looked like a woman possessed. Unlike many people in her position might do, she showed no signs of fear, anxiety, or even hesitation about antagonising the classes resident ticking time bomb. Her hatred towards him was evident, and she was very open about it in those moments.

She could only make it more clear by hitting it in the face and telling her feelings towards him right in front of him. Bad enough that he had done everything he had done to Izuku, but he still found enjoyment out of it?

He wasn't a Hero. Not as far as Mina was concerned.

He was just an immature bully who was lucky enough to have a powerful Quirk. Even now...

He hadn't grown up a bit. Not based on what Izuku had told her. Not a single bit.

Her eyebrows buried themselves further than she'd ever though possible. It was just an offhanded comment, but it showed just the sort of person he was. Her teeth gritted without her knowledge.

Not that it did a thing to make Bakugou even flinch. "The fuck you want, Racoon Eyes?"

* * *

As opposed to what a few of the students had been expecting, which had been single rooms, it turned out instead that the students would each be placed into one of four rooms depending on two factors. The first being which class they were in, and the second being biological sex. Since this was the private headquarters of The Pussycats, they only had a limited number of rooms, hence the categorisation of the rooms. Plus, it made fitting everyone in easier, since 1A had a smaller number of girls in their class than they did boys.

So logically, that meant that the girls needed less space, freeing up the larger rooms for the boys, whom had the larger numbers, therefore requiring more space.

"I call this one!" Hagakure called out, dumping her bag on the futon that was the closest to the door, and falling down in what looked like a crossed legged fashion, based on her long-length socks.

Picking out the spot directly opposite the invisible girl, Uraraka claimed the other futon that was set up nearest the door. Without a word, she just collapsed onto the soft mattress, like she was ready just to forget about getting nay food and just going to sleep right then and there.

One by one, the girls began to fill out the space provided by the Professional Hero Team, Mina winding up in between Jirou and Uraraka. She unpacked her belongings, which didn't amount to a huge variety of things other than the essentials, and packing them to the side, like everyone else was doing. She then sat down on her futon as everyone engaged in light conversation before they got ready to head out. Unlike the rest of her friends though, she didn't make any particular fuss or noise about where she was situated, or what went where, or the sight outside the only window in the room.

As a matter of fact, she didn't show any particular enthusiasm about anything at all.

A serious oddity. It wasn't one that went unnoticed by any of the female members. All five of them had exchanged glances to one another regarding the pink girl and her silence, but none had spoken to Mina to try and get a word out of her, as of yet.

The most quickly agreed upon consensus was that something was upsetting her. Since everyone had seen what had gone down before they'd entered the room, it wasn't an unreasonable thing to think. But it wasn't the correct conclusion. The actual reason was emotionally motivated, yes, but it wasn't forced by negative

She was thinking.

More accurately, she was contemplating the relationship between Izuku and Bakugou. Part of her was devoted to thinking of that kid Kota and his unprovoked assault on Izuku, but she knew nothing about him, so that train of thought went nowhere fast.

However, she knew a lot about Izuku. Far more than anyone else knew about him, aside from his mother. This was something that Mina was more than confident in saying. Based on what she knew about his family life, and his childhood, she knew that she had been told and shown things about him that no other person would know. More than any other person could possibly know about him, and more than likely ever would. That made her feel special, but more importantly, right now, it made her the most qualified person to judge his and Bakugou's turbulent relationship.

Both of them had been friends until just after Bakugou had developed his Quirk. A short time after, their friendship fell apart when it became apparent that Izuku simply wasn't going to get a Quirk. They turned from friends to a bully and his favourite victim, and this had gone in for years. Just over a decade, if it started not long after Izuku turned four.

When she thought about that fact, Mina felt her own heart ache. Over ten years of being kicked into the dirt for something biological that wasn't his fault. For just being unlucky. For being Quirkless.

Something that made her more upset with herself... Was the fact that this was normal. In their society, people who didn't have Quirks were seen in the same light as people who were missing a limb. Crippled almost, only to a less life-screwing-over degree. Being Quirkless was something every parent feared their child being. Someone without individuality. Someone without a Quirk...

Many were discriminated against. In work, in housing, in their day to day lives. Being totally Quirkless basically meant that you were weak. A genetic throwback to a time when Humans were weaker. And they were treated like such all over the world.

Mina held no dislike towards people for being Quirkless... But knowing that Izuku had to suffer that kind of pain just for being Quirkless... It made her want to slap herself for not being there. Of course, there would have been no way at all that she could possibly have been there for him when they were both just kids... But she hated the fact that things had to be that way.

Without even noticing, it had made her more protective of Izuku, wanting to protect him from having to experience that same pain again. Because he didn't deserve it, and she loved him.

But then, there was Bakugou.

As she'd already noted in her head, he was just a thug who had been given a lucky hand in life. Well, two lucky hands, on account of his powerful Explosion Quirk. A Quirk that, frankly, Mina felt Izuku could put to better use, since he wouldn't think that he was the best of the best because of it, and nor would be take the power for granted.

Unfortunately, fate hadn't played out like that for him. He'd been given the short straw when it came to Quirks, and just didn't get one at all. And while maybe he could have recovered from that, with some small, slim margin of hope... The bullying began because of the aforementioned thug. Mina didn't even want to think of all manner of things that he used to do to her boyfriend. Beatings, cheap labour, and using him as target practice were terrifying thoughts that came to mind, but not ones that she felt were beyond the blonde teen.

And yet, Izuku still looked up to him. And that was just something, no matter how many thousands of times that Mina would ask, she would never be able to understand. The only way it made sense to her was if it was in the same way that some ordinary citizens looked up to someone like Stain. The Hero Killer was popular, but very few people honestly serious - Like, fully committed to his ideology levels of serious - About following him, or continuing his legacy now that he was behind bars.

Even though she had an intense dislike towards him for the sort of person that he was and what he'd done, denying his skill and power based in that alone would be stupid. Maybe that was how Izuku saw it too.

No matter how she tried though, Mina couldn't see it like that.

Back then, when the two of them had stared one another down, if Bakugou had started something, whatever it was, she would have been ready to face off with him. Not that she thought she was any stronger than him. Not by a long shot. But if that was what it would have come down too, she would have taken him on.

Out of her own frustrations and distaste of him more than anything else. Now that she knew that he was someone who didn't, as she had previously assumed, mock and insult him out of a friendly sort of banter, but out of a habit and past of bullying and beatdowns based solely on his ego... There was only so far she was willing to tolerate him.

And Izuku might be prepared to accept a lot more abuse from him. But she wasn't.

Alas, he didn't do anything besides growl at her, thankfully, so no fists started to fly.

Although, Mina did had to let out a small chuckle of what could only be described as amazement, and a bit of absurdist reflection that made her laugh at herself. She'd gotten all of this from a smirk, chuckle, and snide remark that Bakugou had made. And it wasn't like any of these feelings were new or noteworthy.

Maybe she was the one overthinking things and letting grudges get the better of her thoughts

* * *

 **Once again, I apologise for this chapter being late again, short and rather insubstantial. I wanted to give a few things a try with this once, and it's a chapter I needed to wrote in order to help flow the story. I wanted to explore Mina's view on Bakugou a bit, wince I thought it'd be an interesting thing to see develop as time goes on. (Just a quick note to all of you, I don't actually dislike Bakugou. A few people seem to think thats the case - Not even close. Bakugou's awesome, but lets be fair, he's still kind of a dick. Especially at this point in the story. Hence why I write him like this.)**

 **Plus, my girlfriend is still here, and she takes my priority.**

 **Next chapter will be the spa scene - And I'm looking forward to that one. Trust me, I have a few funny ideas for it.**

 **Was also just at a LGBT Pride parade in Leeds, in case anyone ya'll happened to be there. Go Pride!**

 **Anyways, I hope you did manage to enjoy this filler chapter - Which is what it is, I know. Hopefully next weeks will be more satisfying for you all - I know I'm looking forward to it, and Ill see you next time. See ya!**


	35. Hot Springs And Easy Targets

If there was one thing that could be universally said about the food at the lodgings, it was that it absolutely freaking amazing. Pretty much everyone in the entire dining hall was wolfing it down like they'd gone a full week without any sort of sustenance whatsoever, be the reason that the food was genuinely delicious, because they had just gone the entire day without any real meals, had been pushing themselves to the brink over and over and over again without the forest, or because they were all too exhausted to care what it was that they ate, everyone was stuffing their faces with virtually everything that was within their reach.

And it was all incredible, mouth-watering, and satisfyingly filling dish after dish. Meats, vegetables, breads, fish, fruits, pastas, and all sorts of stuff that was in between. Some of it, none of the students had even heard of.

Not that it was stopping any of them.

Both Izuku and Mina ended up with some orange sort of bread-cake, whatever it was even supposed to be. The best guess they had was that it was some kind of fruit cake without fruit, but even then it tasted and felt more like wheat than confectionery. Neither of them had even seen it before, never mind tasted it, but given their raging hunger, both of them didn't hesitate for even a second to shove them down their throats. They turned out to be extraordinarily tasty - Whatever the hell it even was.

"Mmmm!" The entire table seemed to be making similar noises in response to whatever they'd managed to sink their teeth into, but sat right next to her, Izuku heard Mina's the most loudly. Her face was scrunched up as she chewed on whatever it was that she'd grabbed and stuffed into her mouth. Though it was through some full mouthed mumbling on her part, Izuku did manage to interpret that Mina was saying something about not having a clue what this substance was, but that she wanted to know because it was so enjoyable.

Though he was using the proper utensils himself, Izuku wasn't much better, getting hold of a little bit of absolutely everything within chopstick range - Not within arms range, but within the tiny extra range that the small wooden eating equipment gave him - and shovelling it into his bowl, and then into his open mouth. Having barely eaten all day, everyone was desperate. And the food was delicious. Plus, with all the exercise done... There wasn't a single person who was truly, properly minding their manners, focused more on just cramming it all in their throats.

Conversation did pick up the longer that all the students were there, once they'd acquired their energy back and filled their bellies. Some people slowed down in order to converse with their fellow students, Mina being one of such people, once she'd gotten enough sustenance to stop herself from shaking out of hunger.

"Hey, what's the boys' room like?" She questioned the area of densely packed area of male students. Somehow, things had once again ended up with all the girls in one area of one of the two tables Class 1-A were occupying, while the male students also seemed all grouped up, though exceptions varied dependent on friendships and relationships. Not that things were intended to be like this, they just sort of happened.

If there was one kind of person who was able to make friends with nearly everyone in the class though, regardless of gender, biological or identification, upbringing, spiritual beliefs, even if she had none herself, or anything else for that matter, Mina was one of those types of people. Even before she began to date Izuku, aside from being friends with every single girl in the class, she was also on good terms with the majority of the guys too. No one particularly minded her at all, so she was totally comfortable where she was.

Looking up from his bowl, Kaminari glanced towards the Acid Quirk user, and speaking with a mouthful of rice. His words were muffled and hard to understand, but Mina managed to interpret his intended sentence as, "It's just a big room."

"We've pretty much got enough space to have a straight up manly brawl if we wanted to!" Kirishima informed her, pumping his fist with his right hand as he held his food. His grin showed off the sharp teeth that he must have inherited from his parents Mutations. It showed off that he was actually sort of hoping for such an outcome, as a fan of friendly competition, and from what Mina knew of him, determined to become stronger from the experience.

"Oh cool!" Hagakure commented excitedly. As she spoke, some food could still be seen travelling down her throat, and then disappearing as it passed throat her body. Her Quirk had an effect that certainly made watching her eat a bizarre experience. Mina had seen it many times, but it never ceased to make her pay full attention to the actions that occurred. "We just got a really small room. There's enough space for all of us in there, but there's like, not a lot of room otherwise."

Swallowing the food he had, Izuku popped in a comment of common sense. "I guess it's because there are less girls in our class than guys." He wasn't sure if the same rule applied to those who were in Class 1-B, though that probably was the case. It meant that the Pussycats could use the larger rooms for equipment storage, and other such functions that they would need to help train the students there, with their various Quirks and abilities.

"I wanna see the boy's room!" Mina commented, though she gave Izuku a certain look as she did so. To outsiders, it just looked like a seductive expression - Mina's eyes were half closed, and her pupils were squarely focused on her lover. A soft smile that made her look ten times prettier to the green haired boy made its way onto her lips, and her head tilted slightly to the side. For someone like Mina, who had no problems with expressing herself and how she felt, this wasn't unusual, if slightly inappropriate, for her to do. Izuku knew differently though. He'd seen the look before, and he knew exactly what it meant.

Still quite vivid, were the memories of that night after the Kiyashi ward in his head.

"Lucky curly haired bastard." Growled Mineta, glaring at the taller student like he was trying to kill him with his gaze. Knowing the Pop-Off Quirk user, he probably was going to try later on.

His perverted classmate's comments made Izuku go bright read in the face. He actually chocked on his food for a brief moment in embarrassed, stammered response. As he tried to clear out his windpipe in order to inhale oxygen again as well as in order to speak too, he noticed the smirks of several other classmates towards him. From Kirishima, from Kaminari, and from Sero in particular. They were more people that Mina knew, which just added onto the awkwardness of the situation for the flustered teenager.

It was an odd thought though - Had the two of them never started dating, perhaps they wouldn't all be eating right now, and this conversation wouldn't be happening. It was all just part of dating someone as social and erratic as Mina was, and while Izuku wouldn't prefer it any other way... That didn't change the fact that he was still struggling to breathe right now. He was sputtering, and his girlfriend was trying to help him out there, lightly patting his back to help him get out whatever it was that was cause him problems.

"Careful there, Midoriya." Tsuyu warned, before extending her tongue underneath the table, behind his back, and then harshly slapping the back of his torso - With enough force that id helped to dislodge the coughing boy's throat. After a brief coughing fit from awkward boy, the frog girl carried on with her warning, saying, "You should probably try getting used to those sorts of remarks from people. Especially Mineta."

"Kof... Y-Yeah, good thinking, A-Asui." Nodded Izuku, hitting his chest a few more times, before he was totally fine again. "Th-Thanks, too."

"My name's still Tsuyu."

From across the room, as the table kept up conversing with one another, the Pro's were moving more crates filled with foods from the dining hall to one of the storage rooms, presumably to save the leftovers from making the feast for the next day. One un-introduced member of the group had a Quirk that let their body turn soft, which they were using to drag multiple crates along the ground without having to pick them up, simply using their arms as bags that they dragged along for floor. Pixie-Bob explained to Kirishima and some of the other students on the other table that this was a one-time thing. What this meant for the meals the next day was a mystery, but not one that anyone was too eager to get around to thinking about or providing an answer for.

Two things became apparent as Izuku noticed this event occurring, one that no one else even noticed, or even seemed to care about. The very first thing of note was Bakugou, eating completely on his own, a few seats away from Jirou, Yaoyorozu and Ojirou, all of whom were conversing about something or other. The table that the green haired boy was sat at had filled up, mere moments before the Explosion Quirk user could take a seat, the final one stolen either by Mina or by Todoroki. Either too tired to care, or simply because he felt it too minuscule - Even for him - To get worked up about, the ash blonde haired boy made his way to the other table without a word, and sat far from anyone else. Isolation wasn't something that in itself was uncommon for Bakugou to do...

That aside though... He did usually have a small group of what could charitably be called friends who would interact with him, and eat with him. This time, he was totally on his own, even Kirishima staying away from him. While they had been unpacking, he had seemed particularly pissed off... How bad exactly, Izuku wanted to know, was the war-path that Kacchan was on that even the small number of acquaintances he did seem to have made were steering clear of him tonight?

Secondly, the child Kota had caught Izuku's eyes once again.

By the request of his Aunt, he was moving some crates of food from near the place he'd sat down and stared at all the training Hero students. Izuku's mind returned to the words that the young child had spoken. For a kid, he clearly held some very strong, and totally unfavourable opinions regarding Heroes in society.

Something about the clear anger he felt... It was familiar to Izuku. There was clearly something underlying there, something more to this kid than what he let on.

Given his Quirkless birth, Izuku recognised the jaded attitude Kota expressed, even just through a few of his actions, and the way he spoke to Heroes, and those who trained to be them. He understood it to the other end of the spectrum though. Kota quite clearly showed hate and distain, whereas Izuku had nothing but admiration and respect. But even with it... Born without a Quirk, and told by everyone that he could never follow his dreams of becoming a Hero... Of course he had anger, even hate, towards those that did have powers. Truthfully, not all of it was gone. His classmates were incredible, their skills and strength with their Quirks, as well as how they just seemed to take them for granted.

To so many, Quirks were just an inescapable, irrefutable, and imperative a part of their lives, their world, and their very identities... And out of everyone here, only Izuku really knew what it was like to not have one. To not have any of that. To not belong, to have no individuality, barely any identity of his own other than the worthless nerd who couldn't accept reality. It was all he'd known, and all he'd had, for so, so long...

There was something Izuku always wondered, that he kept to himself, because he wasn't sure how to bring it up to Mina, or All Might, or even with himself, now that he thought about it. A question to which the answer both intrigued and terrified him.

If his class, his friends, all learned about his Quirkless origins... What was it that they'd think?

The Quirkless weren't exactly treated well in society, due to their lack of individuality. Subject to mockery and prejudice... Relegated to roles that weren't entirely favourable or even respected in many cases.

To learn that he was one of those people... What would they think? Or say?

Mina still stayed with him, accepted him, and understood his situation. He'd always adore her for that, if nothing else. But everyone else was a mystery, one that he felt uncomfortable not knowing the answer to. After everything he'd tried to do, how hard he'd worked... Honestly, he doubted that they would do, but if, hypothetically, they decided he didn't deserve any of it simply because he'd been born without a power... He'd be angry, and it would be justifiable, too. Angry was the nicest word for it.

On that level at least, in a roundabout, convoluted way, he felt he could understand the amount of anger the young boy felt. They seemed to be equal to what Izuku had felt for his whole life.

Something he felt that he could at least understand even if he wasn't aware of the specifics of the kid's situation. That in itself was something else that had Izuku's curiosity hostage. Not once had he ever met a kid who disliked Heroes. It was rare to even find a civilian who didn't like Heroes, but while it did exist in adults for various reasons, like disillusion or political reasons, everyone had to at least admire them, and there wasn't a person in the world who didn't grow up looking up to them. That was like a staple to any kid. Seeing people able to use their Quirks, showing off their amazing powers, stopping Villains and rescuing people, it was the worlds new alternative to cartoons and anime. No one hated Heroes as a child.

Except this kid, apparently. So something had happened that had turned this kid to the person he was now. Something that had affected him greatly, something to do with the protectors of cities and citizens...

What was it that made this kid hate Heroes?

"...Hey, Mina?" He whispered towards his girlfriend, grabbing hold of her attention. When the pink girl turned around to look at him, he nodded his head in the direction of the young Kota. He wasn't easy to miss. "Do you... What do you think makes him hate dislike us?"

"Early teen angst?" She suggested with a joking smile, trying to lighten the dim feel of the question. "Honestly though, I haven't got even a slight idea. Kid needs to learn not to just hit people." Muttering as she took a bite out of some of the vegetables in front of her, which broke under her teeth with a satisfyingly loud crunch then turned her head slightly towards him. "You ever find it weird that all the violent stuff happens to you, like... All the time? You're like the unluckiest guy on Earth."

"Kinda wanted to ask about that, actually." This time, with his speech was clear, the Electrification Quirk user stopped chewing on his food for just a few moments in order to question the Strength Enhancement Quirk holder. "What even happened there?"

Shrugging, Izuku answered with the only information he knew, which was extraordinarily little. "Kota just said he can't stand Heroes."

"Kota?"

"That's what Mandalay called him. It's his name."

"Weird kid."

"I... Have another question."

This time, the voice that joined in was from the normally indifferent and quiet Todoroki. Normally, he didn't join in with group conversations such as this, choosing instead just to remain silent. Often times, he would talk when in small groups of people he was friends with, or was comfortable around. Usually, that was limited to the people that knew about his family situation, or had faced a serious threat alongside, or at the very least, those who's skill he respected. Otherwise, he was normally self-reserved, which made his choice to include himself into the conversation amongst those he normally didn't associate himself with a rarity in itself.

Even rarer - His eyes weren't focused on his friend at all. Rather, the person to his side.

"Ashido." The heterochromic eyes that the candidate for Class 1A's strongest student landed on the black eyes of one of the strongest girls in the class. Since this marked one of the few times they had directly interacted, and with how suddenly it had occurred, Mina was caught off guard by his addressing of her.

The pink skinned girl looked back towards Todoroki, making eye contact with him as he did so with her. The cold intimidation that had normally characterized him was gone now, thanks to her boyfriend and his efforts during the Sports Festival. He felt like a new person at times, though familiar all the while. The Acid Quirk user practically never spoke with him.

"Yeah, Todoroki?"

"You and Bakugou seem to be rather hostile towards each other." The Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user commented, using his power to heat up something in the palm of his left hand before taking a bite out of it. "You looked like you were about to have a fight before you came into the building, but you looked like you decided against it. What's the reason for that?"

Mina had to blink a couple of times before she remembered that Todoroki had been next to the loud mouthed Explosion Quirk user during their glaring contest with one another. He would have seen everything extremely clearly.

"W-Wait, what?" Izuku snapped his head towards his girlfriend with his eyes wide open in surprise and shock. Despite being right by her, he had been too busy trying to null the pain in his crotch from Kota to fully comprehend what was going on with Mina in that moment, his somatosensory senses preventing him from using his audible ones to listen to the spiky blond snarl towards her. In short, he'd been right there, but heard nothing at all.

Quickly, Mina dismissed the question, brushing it off as unimportant and uneventful, not wanting Izuku to have to worry about what had happened just a short while ago. "Oh, uh, Bakugou just made some snide comment about Kota hitting Izuku, that's all." It wasn't even a lie, which was why Mina was able to say it so easily. "He just annoyed me, that's all."

"You say something to him?" Kirishima questioned, leaning forward slightly, bringing his elbows onto the table as he did so.

The horned girl shook her head. "Nah, nothing."

"He did seem pretty angry." Hagakure commented, her chopsticks halting just before they reached her unseeable lips. "Well, angrier than usual. I mean, it's pretty impressive to actually seem him more pissed than usual. Not sure if I should be impressed or terrified of you right now, Mina."

"I just looked at him!" A half lie, but it wasn't like she'd looked at him any nastier than he looked at anyone else. He always had a look on his face like he wanted to murder someone.

"Bakugou's pretty erratic though." Kaminari nodded his head a couple of times, apparently agreeing with something Mina had said. "Wouldn't take much of a look to set him off. He's a scary dude."

General consensus was that Bakugou was a terrifying wort of person. His raw aggression, combined with his powerful Quirk and physical strength. On that level, he was a fundamentally scary individual for anyone who had any common sense to avoid danger. An apex predator was a good way of looking at the constantly angry teenager, whom seemed to get worse and worse by the passing week. Now he was just picking fights with whoever seemed to get in his way.

It wasn't unfair to call him what he was - A scumbag, at least in Mina's eyes. The way he acted and treated other people, and believed himself to be above others. Calling him a scumbag was well within reason. Even just decrying him was well within the rights of everyone there who had been wronged by him.

Izuku had more than enough of a right than anyone else to express his anger towards his former childhood friend. To some people at this point, it would seem to be an obligation more than anything. To let people know just the sort of person that Katsuki Bakugou was, so they wouldn't have to put up with him or his crap like he had...

But he didn't. And Mina noticed.

* * *

Simple things in life Izuku felt, after all the excitement that had been in his life since he had accepted One For All that had changed his life, were things that had to be appreciated. He didn't care how much of an old man that made him sound, simply because it was true. Having a Quirk, especially in his case, was a privilege, even if the rest of the world saw it as something simple at this point. The truth was, it was something that a minority would never get to experience. He was unbelievably lucky in that respect.

At the same time, other simple pleasures were open to everyone.

Like an open air Hot Spring bathhouse. All he could think in the moment that he saw that he saw what they had at their disposal when it came to bathing was that the Pussycat's had what was probably the best base of operations, ever. Right next to a natural reserve of heat to create something so simply, but absolutely incredible…

For a person who had spent the majority of recent memory stressed, strained, and pushed to the limits of what both his brain and body were capable of, allowing the steaming hot water to cover all of his strained muscles and relax his joints…

Truly, it felt like heaven.

"Aaaaah…." He allowed himself to let out a huge sigh of relaxation, allowing himself to sink right to the bottom of the water. After trekking through that whole Beast's Forest, and then stuffing himself to the brim, there was nothing in this world that he felt would do him more good than this bath.

Judging by how the rest of the males in the class were allowing themselves the same benefits, he wasn't alone in his opinion. While some indulged themselves, like him, others hung around the sides, not quite ready to submerge themselves yet. Overall consensus was that everyone was allowing themselves to enjoy the simple pleasure. Even Bakugou seemed to have calmed himself down enough to just relax for five minutes.

"At least explosion boy's calmed himself down a bit." Joked an individual with ridiculously long red hair. For just a brief, hectic second, Izuku was utterly confused as to who was even talking to him, until he realized it was the classes Hardening Quirk user. It marked the first time he'd ever seen Kirishima with his hair down, the gel he used to keep it spiky just melting away into the water as he soaked. "Didn't think I'd be so happy for one of Aizawa-sensei's 'Logical Ruses'. I'd've hated to have missed this…"

Nodding in agreement, Izuku hummed a small noise with his throat to indicate his understanding of Kirishima's sentence. "They're going to work us hard tomorrow though, aren't they? There's no way that they're going to just let us enjoy all of this without making us work for it…"

"That's just Yuuei for you. I like a challenge."

Not at all surprising, Izuku thought to himself. Kirishima did seem to be that sort of person. Plus, he had second hand knowledge that this was the case. He remembered Mina telling him that she and Kirishima actually both attended the same middle school, like he and Bakugou had. Though that was all she had mentioned. Either nothing had happened of any particular note while they were at school, or his girlfriend just hadn't known him that well during those years. She didn't have any classes with him, she had told him that quite explicitly. Apparently she only knew that he even existed in the last few months, and they were sat by one another during the day they were all at the Entrance Exams.

While the two were on good terms, they weren't exactly close. Izuku didn't even remember the last time the two of them had directly interacted when he himself hadn't been involved. To him, it rose the question as to why she even mentioned it to him in the first place. Perhaps she just saw it as some interesting trivia to share.

The green haired boy shrugged to himself.

He allowed himself another scan of the Onsen, just as he relaxed and allowed his stress to sweat away from his unsubmerged forehead. The majority of the class was now in the springs, totally relaxed and letting themselves enjoy the total ecstasy that came with these sort of traditional bathhouse, the last few members making their way towards the water's surface now, eager to spend an hour or so relaxing and socializing. The more comfortable members of the class abandoned their towels at the water's edge, while others, such as the easily flustered freckled teen, kept his firmly fastened around his waist, even under the water's surface.

Truly, he was thankful for the tourism in Japan in this moment – Foreign visitors from the west had influenced the previously traditional mixed bathing in Hot springs that had ruled over the country for centuries previously. He seriously had no idea how he'd cope if Mina were able to be around him in this current state.

There was no doubt she'd try to mess with him by stealing his towel. He just knew for a fact she'd try. Then again, with how comfortable she was with herself, she was probably totally naked on the other side of the wall…

Crimson made its way onto his face, and he sunk even lower, covering his mouth and nose. Bubbles formed around his head as he blew all of the water away from him, trying to cool down while hiding his blush. He could virtually see Mina trying to flirt and tease him right now. Making her way around him, teasing him about his shyness, playfully reminding him of their various stages of undress, trying to get him to look at her…

His mind ran back to just a few nights prior, when she'd taken his hand, and pressed it against her breast… When he'd tasted her tongue, and flooded with her warmth... His red blush ran rampant all over his upper body. Just the idea of seeing her like that, and her trying that trick again – He didn't put it past her…. Actually, it was more a case of he was convinced that she'd do that.

He shook his head, hard and quickly, trying to get that thought out of his head, though it was stuck there firm. The more he thought about it, the more he could psychologically feel and taste her, only further adding to his blush.

"Dude, you okay?" Kirishima asked, looking at Izuku going redder and redder. He got no reply of course, due to his mouth being beneath the waterline.

"You got the same idea as me, Midoriya?"

Turning around, Izuku noticed that the smallest member of Class 1-A hadn't even ventured towards the Hot Springs since they had opened. While everyone had made a straight line towards the geothermally warmed waters, Mineta had headed straight towards the gender separating wall…

Izuku blinked a couple of times. He knew his friend… And he was unbelievably uncomfortable with him stood where he was. He knew exactly how Mineta thought – Everyone did. He wasn't a difficult person to read. Actually, he was completely one dimensional, so easy to predict if you dangles the promise of naked women in front of him. So if he was stood there… Then his intentions were absolutely clear as day. The fact he was basically drooling as he looked at the wall… Izuku quickly rose to his feet out of reflex, bringing his nasal and oral openings back to the open air.

"You've got a lot more to motivate you than anyone else here, am I right?" Anyone who was listening to him could hear the lust in the Pop-Off Quirk user's voice. He pressed his ear against the wall, and listened for a few seconds. "The food and rooms, that's all whatever…. This, this is what I was looking forward to…"

"M-Mineta, you're not…"

"Yeah… Yeah, they're there…" Giddiness rose as Mineta realized that all of the girls from the class were basically completely naked, barely five meters away from him. "They didn't bother putting the boys and girls in baths at different times… Oh, what a happy mistake…" He turned his head to give Izuku a look, one that was half way between trying to implicate him in his idea, and a look that was pleading for help in whatever depraved plan he had.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Mineta was talking about peeping on the girls. He had a clear desire to find some way to spy on his female classmates while they were stark naked that it made some students cringe where he lacked the shame. On the other hand, some of the more perverse students in the class, like Kaminari, turned around with a look of excitement and intrigue into whatever it was that the resident class pervert was cooking up. Others looked in disgust.

Flustered, Izuku wasn't sure what the hell to think.

The fact there was a slight appeal to him in what Mineta was implying, because it meant he'd get to see Mina like that… Was disturbing, to say the very least. Constantly, Mina assured him that it was fine to look at her like that, and want to see her that way…. But at the same time, it still felt wrong to him. So to actually want to do that, because, when presented with a slim possibility to do so… He wanted to see her like that…

It was worrying, to say the very least. He wanted to see Mina completely exposed like that, and he couldn't decide if that was messed up or not. He loved her so dearly, and when he thought back to that whole morning after the Kiyashi ward incident… Too embarrassed and awkward to make a move… He had enjoyed it, in hindsight. The memory of it… And he did want to return to it. To be able to do so again.

He'd become slightly more like Mineta in recent days, although thankfully, he wasn't even close to his level. The fact remained though, that Izuku was, for a moment, tempted enough to at last just consider the idea in his head, just to see Mina.

Should he be ashamed of himself for that, or should he and Mina be having a talk?

If he was becoming even slightly anything like the seemingly universally hated purple headed boy, it was probably both.

"Mineta! Cease that immediately!"

The loud, crisp voice of Iida snapped Izuku back to the current situation. Mentally, Izuku thanked every God that ever existed in Japanese history for the Engine Quirk user's strictness and sharp ability to take charge of a situation, as well as his shattering voice that made everyone stop what they were doing to pay attention.

It actually snapped him straight back into reality, and made him blink at his own reflection in the water...

What the hell had he just been thinking, exactly? He actually stunned himself into outright disbelief with his own thoughts. Now that he'd regained all of his common sense, a big part of him felt that he'd betrayed his girlfriend outright, despite the fact he hadn't done anything. He remembered that Mina kept telling him that those sorts of thoughts, feelings, desires, they were all fine with her...

It didn't mean it was alright with him though.

"Such actions are unbefitting students of Yuuei!"

"Don't be such a friggin' prude." Mineta dismissed the strict warning in a disturbingly calm manner, and a waft away with the hand, before turning back towards the only boy in the entire class to have a girlfriend. He had the same evil look on his face when he'd found a peeping hole drilled into the side wall from the boys changing room to the girls'. "Hey, Midoriya, you in? Ashido's right over the wall butt-freaking-naked waiting for you, and a bounty of babes is waiting for me!"

"Dude, you're really crossing a line here..." Kirishima commented towards the small teenager, looking equal parts embarrassed as he did disturbed. He looked like he was like Izuku, having a brief moment of temptation before coming to his senses. "Seriously, what sort of guy even does that?"

"Y-You can't just invade the girls' privacy like that, Mineta!" Izuku said a bit louder than he'd intended, another blush making its way onto his face. "I-I'm not gonna help you peek on the girls! E-Especially not while M-Mina's there!"

"Yo, I don't know, Midoriya..." Wading his way over to the general direction of the group, Kaminari had a particular smile on his face that conveyed a certain amount of excitement as it did perversion too. "I don't think I'd mind getting a look..." Given the role he had along with Mineta to trick all the girls to get into cheerleading costumes back during the Sports Festival, it wasn't all that surprising that he was all for the Pop-Off Quirk users plan to peep on the females of their class.

"You - You do know my girlfriend is on the other side of that wall, right?"

"Don't tell me you've never wanted to see Ashido naked, dude. Said it yourself, she's your girl. Seems pretty normal to me."

"E-E-Even I-if I - Sh - She's still my g-girlfriend! Y-You can't just s-spy on her! Or a-anyone of the girls for that matter!" Mina aside, Uraraka, Tsuyu and more recently, Hagakure, were his friends, and he still hoped to have a good, or at least functional relationship with Yaoyorozu and Kyouka. Even without considering his girlfriend in this equation, he still didn't want his friends privacy violated for his other classmate's pleasure. Or anyone's privacy violated for that reason, for that matter.

With a nod of his head, and more bizarre hand gestures than earlier, Iida spoke up his obvious agreement with Izuku's sentiments, cut and dry and filled with stammers as they were. "Midoriya's correct, of course! As Hero Course students of Yuuei, we have a duty to be upstanding citizens! What you're doing would lower not only yourself, but all of the girls too!"

"You're all a bunch of stiffs." The perverse teenager commented, letting out a small sigh, and closing his eyes. For the briefest of moments, Izuku and Iida looked towards one another, thinking that they might have just managed to talk down the infamous pupil from heading further down this route.

No such luck.

"We have a motto for walls that need to be climbed!" Suddenly drooling as he spoke, and reaching for his head, Mineta utilised his Pop-Off Quirk, slamming many into the wall, and pulling himself up on each of the sticky spheres, like he was a spider of some kind on a rock climbing wall that were used at fairgrounds. Something worrying was the sheer speed at which he could do this - Like he'd been practicing for this sort of scenario. Knowing him, he probably had been. "Plus Ultraaaa!"

In reaction, Izuku immediately climbed out of the Hot Springs water, in an effort to try and stop his classmate before he reached the peak of the wall, not that he had any particular plans to do so, short of using One For All to leap up and grab him back down to the ground. Either way, he couldn't just watch him do this. "Mineta!"

"Do not defile our school motto for such disgusting pursuits!" Iida, Izuku feared, may have had his priorities in the wrong order in this exact scenario.

"Holy crap, he's fast!"

By the time Izuku had readied his body and Quirk to jump up, Mineta was already near the top of the wall, and no one else had a Quirk that was suitable for stopping him from achieving his target, except perhaps for Todoroki, though he'd wind up freezing all of their classmates in the process as he cooled his body down while submerged in water. Sero would have been ideal, but he hadn't even noticed what was going on, and in the time it would take to explain, Mineta would have already gotten what he wanted.

So Izuku had himself ready to jump, until a few seconds later, from atop the wall, the young Kota appeared, scowling right at the teenager whom he towered over.

And with an extended hand, simply pushed him right away from the wall. Clearly too, he wasn't holding back his any of his strength in this action - Mineta was shoved right away from a single one of his Quirk made perches.

"And you call yourself a Hero? Try being a good person before you try anything else."

"Oh you little shiiiiiiiit!"

What the hell Kota was doing apparently in between the walls, Izuku had no idea, but he was grateful for such an occurrence preventing Mineta from going through with his perverse acts on Mina, and the rest of the girls. Still, now the falling teenager himself needed helping before he wound up seriously injured. Switching from leaping up high enough to be higher than him to enough to catch him as he fell, he readied himself to jump.

About a second later though, the situation changed.

As the green haired boy prepared to jump up, he noticed Kota falling down himself, right after Mineta. How or why this had happened was unclear, but Izuku instantly switched his target to the younger child - Not only was Mineta older, and therefore more durable, and capable of putting up with pain, but Iida was also making motions to catch his classmate as he was nearer, whereas Kota had no one else close by to break his fall.

He assessed all of this in under a second, before leaping into the air, grabbing the child, pulling him close to his own body to protect him better, and allowed himself to land, making sure to bend his knees into a squat so he didn't harm the boy.

* * *

Sometimes, Izuku really did question the luck and circumstance that seemed to rule over his and Mina's lives at times. It seemed that they were either always ridiculously fortunate, or ridiculously misfortunate. That, or one of them was the reason for a spiral effect.

As it turned out, Kota had fallen off of the wall due to getting a nosebleed from seeing at least one of the girls totally naked and exposed, making no real effort to cover up any features of their bodies - And of course, that girl was Mina.

With the possible exception of Hagakure, who didn't count since she was literally invisible, though even then she was reportedly shy about doing so, Mina was apparently the only person who didn't make any effort to cover herself up whatsoever.

Somehow, it didn't surprise Izuku to hear that.

"Hey, in my defence, I wasn't exactly expecting a kid to just be up there in case Mineta tried to scale the walls." The pink skinned girl joked lightly as she walked alongside her boyfriend. Upon hearing the commotion on the boy's side of the wall, and hearing Izuku say he was going to take Kota to his aunt, Mina left the springs as well, hoping to find out if the child was okay. While she had considered him a brat, she hadn't wished harm on him.

Had being the operative word. The difference between Bakugou and Kota, she felt, aside from age, was the fact that Bakugou had no justification for his actions. Kota at least had a reason for his hatred of Heroes.

Mandalay had explained about the young boys past. His Hero parents, their heroic deaths against a Villain, and how it had affected their son. Heroism was a very romantic profession, with a light shone on it in both the day and night, brightness or darkness, or whatever the circumstance. Natural disasters, stopping crime and saving people, those were the things that were reported. Even people like Stain were revered for the fantastical ideology he upheld regarding Heroes and their place in the world. Not often were straight up tragedies reported. They were, but the world forgot them rather quickly, in favour of more pleasant news. But those tragedies were felt around the nation. People sent flowers, gifts, and letters of condolences to the family of the fallen, telling them how their relatives died a fine death for a Hero.

For a child to hear all of that after losing their parents... Kota's detest towards the profession was completely understandable. Izuku didn't have any anger towards the child in him after hearing that, and Mina couldn't keep hers either.

Izuku couldn't help but think that her giving the boy a thumbs up while totally naked wasn't going to help in that scenario, but Mina was energetic and free spirited. Those sorts of things just didn't occur to her. She was so comfortable with herself that she forgot other people weren't as comfortable as she was. To her, nakedness was no big deal, even if it was to others.

Especially to Izuku.

Both of them had wound up exiting the Hot Springs with only their towels, since the situation did call for it in his case. In Mina's case though, she just wasn't the sort of person to wait around, and had just rushed out and grabbed something to cover herself up. Comfortable in her own skin or not, she was at least socially conscious.

Even then though... Izuku was struggling to speak. He was becoming more and more aware of Mina and her body the longer that they dated, plus, her casual and rather revealing clothing style did nothing to make these observations any less easy to ignore, particularly when in dates or just hanging out. Right now, her hair and body dripping with water and moisture, her skin looking so smooth... Knowing Mina, he was pretty sure that she'd done this one on purpose once they had left the company of the Pussycat Heroes, but the towel around her chest had lowered slightly, exposing more of the tops of her breasts...

All of it just added up to make Izuku feel like he was about to snap out of sheer embarrassment. He just couldn't help it. She was right there... It was nearly impossible not to look at her.

"Seriously Izuku, you're ripped like hell."

Though the same was true for Mina to Izuku. Her line of sight was directing her gaze towards Izuku at all points, though she was very open about her attraction and adoration of him. She made no effort to hide that she was checking out his muscles, having seen them before, yes, but never to quite this openly exposed level. He really was the walking definition of contrast. No one would ever expect someone like him to possess such a practical array.

And here he was. He never showed it off though, ever. Truth be told, Mina wasn't sure if anyone else even knew that he had these. When the two of them were further away from the Pros, and nearing the changing rooms, Mina felt that, even if it was going to make him totally embarrassed and turn him into a stuttering wreck – Not a difficult result to achieve with him – He could use a distraction from the depressing story that was Kota's life. Flirting seemed just as good a distraction as any, and she knew it would get a reaction from him.

"You should show off a little!" She encouraged, flexing her two arms to show off her own muscular arms - For someone her age, body type, and biological gender. Due to these mostly uncontrollable factors, they weren't even close to the levels Izuku had.

They were still enough to make him blush further though.

"C'mon! Strike a pose!"

"N-No, th-thanks."

"You'd look kickass cool though!"

"I-I don't want to."

"Can I touch them then?"

"D-D- Defin - N-No way!"

"Why not?"

"After what we just heard… It seems inappropriate… A-And to be honest, i-it just makes me u-uncomfortable…"

"You sure that's it?" Grinning, Mina took her hand and ran it up and down Izuku's left arm, noting that in spite of his supposed discomfort, he wasn't making any effort to stop this from happening. Deciding to push it further, she quickly pulled him closer so her arms could wrap around his. In doing so, she pulled Izuku's arm against her chest, once again, completely intentionally. She made especially sure to put a flirty spin on her voice, being quieter as she spoke, and more sultry in doing so.

"M-Mina?!"

"Tell you what I think." She whispered into his ear, taking a glance behind her, before returning her attention to her now flustered mess of a boyfriend. No one was around to see or hear, and the corner that they had just turned led to a dead end, the male and female changing rooms at their immediate side. Everyone else had left a while ago, while they had returned to pick up their clothing. There wasn't any risk involved in teasing him like this. "I think that you're just really humble and don't wanna show off. That maybe that's why you get embarrassed so easily... But don't I get to see you? I already said I don't mind you staring at me if you like." Putting special emphasis on the final word in that sentence, almost teasing and reminding him of their conversation just a few days ago, she put on a particularly seductive smile, trying everything to make him stammer and blush like he'd never done before.

"I-I-I'm - I mean - I'm t-trying not t-to s-stare..." Izuku defended, his reasoning being that because he was trying to not stare at his girlfriends body, no matter how tempted he was to do so, Mina couldn't use the same logic to stare at him.

He didn't entirely think it through though, nor did he think about how he had conveyed or phrased it.

Feigning mock offence, Mina retracted her hands from the awkward boy, turned around, and folded her arms in an artificial huff. It took Izuku a second to realise what it was that she was doing, at least on the surface. As he came to terms with what he had just implied, his girlfriend muttered in her fake anger, "Well, aren't you flattering?"

"W-W-Wait, I-I-I d-didn't - I - I don't m-mean that I don't... Don't... Think you're p-pretty. I - I do... Think you're really a-attractive... Extremely attractive... A-And..." Izuku floundered, tripping over his own tongue, until he noticed a small smirk in the corner of his girlfriends mouth, and her shaking shoulders, from her trying to hold back the laughter at his fluster, which she found endless amusement at. "And... You... You're just messing with me, aren't you?"

"You're catching on to my tricks, aren't you?" The pink skinned girl grinned, her smile lopsided to her right cheek as she spun around on her heel to face her boyfriend.

What happened next came along with huge embarrassment, to both parties involved.

Through no fault of her own, but by mere, unfortunate chance, Mina's towel found itself caught on something on the wall she was stood nearest to. What exactly it caught itself on wasn't relevant as Mina's towel was suddenly ripped off of her, due to the force that she used when she was spinning back around. For a few seconds, she didn't realize exactly what had happened, as her eyes sent the signals to her brain. Even when they reached her, she still couldn't quite believe it, so she simply stood there, frozen out of shock.

Which meant that she now stood facing Izuku, completely naked and exposed, making no effort to cover herself up.

Mina's entire skin suddenly turned a dark shade of lilac, for what was probably the very first time in all her time dating Izuku. She was the sort of person who enjoyed pushing things just that little bit more to see what would happen, but she was acutely aware of how far she was willing to go. This had never even crossed her mind - She joked about it, yes, but she wouldn't actually do it like this.

Not that she wasn't willing to do it for Izuku, but -

Normally, Mina wouldn't mind being naked, were she the one in control of when it happened to her. She was comfortable with her body, and didn't mind admitting that she felt, in recent months, that she'd gained a whole new level of confidence in her appearance thanks to dating Izuku, and felt that she had developed into a very attractive figure. And while she might not mind being seen….

This hadn't been planned. It was just bad luck. She had no control over it, and that was what was messing with her right now.

Her entire body and mind froze as she realized what had happened. So crippled with this that she couldn't even move. For the first time in her whole life, she was flustered to the point of absolute silence. "U-Um..."

Izuku on the other hand, saw what had happened to her, seen her entire body, and immediately thew his arms in front of his eyes and face, and turned around so he wouldn't see her anymore, red as bright crimson blood. "O-O-Oh God, M-Mina, I-I didn't - A-Are you - I - I - I - I - Aaahhhh! " He quickly shut his mouth before he said something that he knew for a fact he was going to regret.

He'd seen everything though, in just a few seconds, and now he had a number of brain cells forever devoted to the image of seeing his girlfriend totally naked like that. It only made him go even redder.

"A-Are you o-o-okay?" He stammered, his voice breaking as he did so, sweat running from his forehead like a waterfall, totally flustered by this whole bizarre, comic-trope filled scenario.

"U-Uh, yeah, I-I'm okay." The pink girl stammered equally as bad, now covering her chest with her arms, and kneeling down to reach over to grab the towel. It had gotten caught on a doorknob as it turned out, the one for the male changing room, and fallen just at the foot of the door.

Never had Mina been so embarrassed in her life…. Though the reaction she got from Izuku was…. At least amusing.

"Y-You sure you don't wanna take a look?"

"D-Don't joke around right now, M-Mina! P-Please cover yourself up!"

"It's… It's kind of funny, don't you think?" The Acid Quirk user commented, grabbing hold of the towel, and standing back up, checking behind her again to make sure no one – Particularly Mineta – Had wandered down here and was just peeping at the whole event go down. "Mineta tries to peek at us and fails, you don't even try… A-And you saw me. Kinda ironic, huh?"

"I-I swear I didn't mean to!"

"You… Do know I don't mind, right?" Feeling more and more comfortable as time and talking resumed for her, Mina resumed her normal personality in a manner that was far, far too quick for Izuku's liking. She wasn't the sort of person to allow a few moments of awkwardness, no matter what they were, to keep her down for too long. She adapted quickly, and recovered just as quick.

"Th-That's not the issue here! I-If someone else sees you – "

"You'd be jealous?"

"N-Not the issue!"

"So that's a yes?"

"M-Mina, c-could you please just – "

Feeling much more confident in herself now, Mina cut Izuku right off, deciding to take advantage of both the situation, and her boyfriend's straight up embarrassment. Quickly moving towards him while his back was turned, the girl then wrapped her arms around him from behind, one hand around his chest, and another around his stomach. She'd done this before, sure, but never before had her bare hands touched his bare chest and abs.

Nor had she ever been naked at the time either.

Had Izuku not been red before, he was going into a bright red supernova now. This time, it was his turn to totally freeze up, unsure of what he was supposed to do. His heart rate rapidly increased as he realized what Mina was doing right now. Since he was mostly exposed himself, aside from a towel around the waist, he could feel every single centimetre of Mina's skin against his. Her smaller, but still present abs in her stomach against his back, her thighs, which were making contact with his own legs,… Her breasts, pressed up against his spine.

Breathing increased around the same time as his heart rate did, and his eyes shot wide open the second he realized that a naked girl was hugging him.

That it was Mina who was hugging him while in a state of undress.

"You're pretty warm." The nude girl commented slyly, taking a look at the blush that was spreading more and more and more, at a rate that she didn't even know was humanly possible. Satisfaction made its way throughout her system, proud of the effect she was having on him.

"Wh-Wh-What're you d-doing, M-Mina?!"

"Hugging you. That a problem?"

"Y-You're supposed to be covering yourself up!"

"Hey, you've seen me now. Not much to be embarrassed about anymore." Giggled the teenaged girl, grinning from ear to ear at the amusement that she found in teasing Izuku. If the two of them were totally alone, she'd be completely fine with teasing him like this all day. "What's up? You don't like it"?

Flustered even further, Izuku just decided it smarter to keep himself quiet. Digging his nails into his sides as he tried his best not to move or make any noise whatsoever, he bit his lower lip, just silently praying that she'd let go of him soon.

"I choose to take that silence as a yes." Mina chuckled, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Not ever would Izuku confess – Ever – But the fact was, Mina had pretty much hit the nail on the head with her assumption. As much as he was hoping that she'd let go before he somehow managed to screw this up, as much as he believed if he uttered a word, he'd blurt out something totally ridiculous, and as much as he was trying his best not to reveal it, he was immensely enjoying this intimate moment. Even if it was one of the most inappropriate times to be having such a moment, even if it was accidental in its origins, and even if it was in some way messed up… He was enjoying the moment.

Greatly.

"Screw off, Iida! That little shit wouldn't've even known I was headed up if you had kept your mouth shut!"

Both teenagers sharply jolted at Mineta's voice coming out of absolutely nowhere, and rushed to cover up the pink girl before the lecherous pervert managed to make his way towards them. Where he was, they assumed, was in the male changing room, having been reprimanded by the Class President for his behaviour earlier.

Letting go of her boyfriend as quickly as she'd flung herself onto him, Mina bent down, grabbed her towel, and covered her body up with it, as she was supposed to have done before engaging in that hug with her green haired love. She then moved to open the female changing room, where Mineta would be unlikely to follow – Unless he wanted to face criminal charges on top of everything else, which the entire class was amazed he hadn't already – and winked at Izuku as she opened the door.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of chances to do that again when we get back home."

* * *

The next day began bright and early. Way, way, _way_ too early for Mina's liking. She let out a loud yawn as she dragged herself along with the rest of her equally tired classmates, into the cold, early morning air. Only the morning people like Fumikage and Todoroki seemed to be totally fine with being up this early. Everyone else still had bed heads, like Uraraka and her one-sided mess of a hairdo, or their eyes closed, like Tsuyu, whom looked totally shattered as they walked. Kaminari hadn't even put his jacket on fully, allowing it to remain unfastened.

As it turned out, not a lot of the class were morning people.

Izuku, Mina noticed, was trying to keep his distance from her, perhaps feeling too awkward from the previous night to look at her right now. Part of her did regret doing what she had done because of this, but she decided to just give him a few hours to get himself readjusted. It wasn't like this was the first time that he'd gone down the whole evasion route before.

Or perhaps… He was contemplating the things he'd heard about Kota last night. He'd grown up in such Hero happy areas that he'd never even really heard of someone hating Heroes as a kid. It seemed to mess with him a bit last night, hence why Mina had gone all flirty and seductive with him, to try and ease his whirring brain. Maybe he'd gone right back to thinking about it when he was supposed to be sleeping.

Maybe he just needed a bit of time to figure that stuff out.

So instead, she focused on what was about to happen right in front of her.

"Morning, everyone."

For all that he slept, Aizawa seemed to be a morning person himself. Either that, or he slept so much at the most random of times that his internal body clock just let him seem wide awake at whatever time he felt like. He sounded a lot peppier than any of the students in that moment, which irritated Mina just a bit.

The students all made their way towards their homeroom teacher, forming a couple of lines, segmented between one another so they all had a good line of sight on the Erasure Hero. Their entire day today would consist of training from the second the sun had risen, to the second it set.

For Mina, remedial classes meant it would be even longer. She wasn't looking forward to that in the slightest. She groaned audibly when she remembered that, and closed her eyes, hoping to ease the sting that came with being forced out of bed so early in the day.

"The real training camp begins today." Aizawa stated, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking down the line at his students. "The goal of this trip is to make each of you emerge stronger, strong enough to take your Provisional Licence Exams, and acquire said licenses."

"Hey, Midoriya?" Mina heard Sero mutter to the academically gifted student next to him. "Remind me what those are again?"

Looking at the Tape Quirk user, Izuku explained in brief. "They're kind of like permits for us to use our Quirks freely. Heroes have Hero Licenses which allow them to use their powers as they see fit. Provisional Licenses let us use our Quirks in the same way, even if we aren't Pro's yet."

"That's correct." Aizawa confirmed, deciding to let the interruption go unhindered this tie, as it saved him having to explain what they were himself. "Since the threat of Villain attacks and the growing hostile threats have been increasing lately, it's been decided that your training would be sped up by a significant portion. The aim of this camp is to make sure that you're all strong and ready to face that danger, wherever it comes. So work hard here today."

The League was the real threat here. They were the reason that the school was even having the training camp here, and not at the original location. Having taken Izuku hostage, Mina knew, the school was now being forced to train their first years to the absolute maximum.

None of them were in a position where, if the League went after them, that they could just run and find a Hero to help them. They needed to be prepared and capable of defending themselves.

She opened her left eye, and felt both her fists clench.

"Alright, to start…. Bakugou, catch."

With a toss, The Erasure Quirk user threw an object that he had pulled out of his pockets towards the Explosion Quirk user, whom caught it within his left hand. The object in question was revealed to be a softball, one that everyone recognised.

"This is from the Strength Trials…" Bakugou muttered to himself, examining the ball in his palm.

At the start of the year, Mina recalled, each and every student had been made to complete a series of trials using their quirks, a test set up by Aizawa instead of them all heading to orientation. It was a choice that meant that Class 1A had been more confused than any other class during the first few weeks when it came to navigation and knowing people outside of their twenty person group. It was when everyone had first gotten to see each other's Quirks.

The last person was supposed to be expelled from the school. That had been Izuku, but it had been revealed to be some sort of logical ruse – The first in a series of which they would come to know their homeroom teacher for being famous for, especially since it was the only time he seemed to smile. Mina herself had placed ninth during that original escapade.

So, was this some sort of redux?

"When the school year first started, you could throw that ball seven hundred and five, point two meters." Recounted the Professional Hero, placing his hands back into his pockets, to pull out the distance counter. "The question is, how much have you improved since then?"

That same sinister grin that Bakugou had whenever he got into a fight made its way onto the blonde boys face as he swung his arm around in a circle to loosen up. Of everyone who had participated in the original test by Aizawa, Bakugou had placed first out of everyone, his powerful and versatile quirk leading him to be one of the strongest in the class, right off the bat. Everyone around him showed a great interest in how much he had improved.

As much as Mina hated Bakugou, she was interested in seeing how far everyone had progressed since the beginning of the year. "This'll be cool!" She commented, a smile on her face as she watched the first person up get ready.

"After everything we've been through, he'll probably be able to blast that thing well over a whole kilometre!"

"Throw that sucker, Bakugou!"

Straining his throwing arm, Bakugou readied himself. "Here we freakin' go…" With almost a perfect pitch, he then tossed it, his Quirk blasting it far away within a matter of seconds, explosions trailing the ball as it went. "Go to hell!"

The blast from his Quirk sent a huge gust of wind behind him, blasting his classmates with warm air, the heat from his Explosions carried on in the wind as he did so. Within a few seconds, the softball seemed to be little more than a speck on the horizon, travelling fast towards the foot of a mountain a large distance away, before becoming even slightly noticeable. As had almost become common expectation, everyone, Mina herself included, could see the sheer power that Bakugou's Quirk had, and how much he seemed to have improved.

When the results came from Aizawa however, it told an entirely different story.

"Seven hundred and nine, point six meters."

Mina actually had to stifle a laugh when she heard the result, covering her mouth quickly before she let it out for all to hear. It seemed like, for the first time, well, ever, Bakugou was the one who had barely made any progress whatsoever – Progress he liked to remind everyone else of every single chance that he got. Progress he boasted about.

Evidentially, it just didn't exist. The irony was amazing.

"Yes, you've all been through a lot over the past few months." Aizawa commented, walking just past Bakugou as he did so. "You've all grown, and there's no question or doubt about that. You've grown your techniques, and your minds, and your bodies a bit – But your Quirks haven't kept up with the rate of growth. Which is why today, you'll all be working on improving your Quirks."

"Improving our Quirks?" Someone questioned from the crowd. So focused was Mina on what Aizawa was saying, she didn't actually catch who had spoken.

With a nod, the scruffy Pro confirmed what he'd said. "That's right. Each of you possesses a different Quirk, with different strengths and weaknesses. Some of you may have Quirks based on activation – You'll be focusing on improving the limits of that activation. Mutation and Transformation types will be focusing on the improvement of their powers in more versatile situations. You'll all be assigned a task, and you'll be working on making your Quirks even more powerful."

Chattering within the group began as they all wondered what sort of tasks they'd all be assigned. Acid was activation based, as was One For All, so Mina guessed that both her and Izuku d be focused on extending the limits…

And the same went for Bakugou.

A fact which caused Mina to smirk to herself.

For the longest time, she'd been meaning to figure out a couple of things regarding Izuku and Bakugou's relationship. Izuku was tight lipped about the subject whenever he was questioned about it, and even when he did reveal some things regarding the pair of them, he didn't have the answers that she was interested in getting.

Like why Bakugou hated him so much?

What was causing such aggression towards Izuku?

What was it that Bakugou even wanted from him?

Why couldn't he just leave things alone between the two of them?

After seeing the video of the two of them fighting All Might together… Seeing the abusive behaviour, still in total bloom, despite the pair of them now being on arguably equal footing… She'd made up her mind.

She planned to interrogate Bakugou, and figure out what the hell his problem was. It was probably stupid, but at this point, she was well beyond the point of caring.

And now, they were going to be given similar tasks in order to improve their Quirks?

That was perfect.

* * *

 **My girlfriend went back to Canada this week, and I've been spending time making sure she got off okay, hence why this chapter is so late - I'm so very sorry about that. In return, I tried to make this chapter a lot longer. Hope it makes up for the wait! I also threw in some more sensual scenes for those of you who've been asking, as well as messing with the who Hot Spring stuff. I thought it was amusing and cute.**

 **once again, I'm so very sorry for the last few weeks being haphazard and the likes. It's been tricky to get into a proper rhythm with everything going on, but I should be back to my regularly schedules uploads now! I have a whole load of ideas of things I wanna write and draw, so expect me to be busy over the coming weeks.**

 **I hope you all managed to enjoy this extra long chapter. Hopefully I'll get another one out on Saturday!**


	36. Conflict

"Raaaaaaaaarh!"

Aizawa-sensei had been right when he'd said that extending ones Quirk was absolute hell. All of them had been through intense exercise before, with training and gym classes pushing them to the limits of their physical abilities. Izuku in particular knew the pain of a serious work out, as that had been his entire life for ten months before receiving his life changing power.

This though, this was in an entirely different level.

Quirks were just biological extensions of the body, no different to an arm or to a leg, natural as breathing, and could be improved like a muscle, given enough use and honing. Just like a person, if they kept running, would be able to continue running for longer and longer, for wider distances. The way to push one's self with a Quirk was simply to use it more and more.

The drawbacks to Quirk usage though, was quite different. Overusing a Quirk gave its user a serious drawback in most cases, and they were fundamentally limited in what they could do. While an arm could be trained for strength, show, or just vanity, Quirks were a lot more streamlined, and had less versatility when it came to extending the use of one.

Mina, for example, could generate Acid, and the only way to extend her Quirk was to keep generating that Acid, over and over again.

Only downside was, when she used her Quirk so much, she lost her own natural resistance to it, meaning she could feel the effects of her power, on a more tolerable level, on herself.

And it freaking hurt.

"Ooooooow!" She hissed, secreting more and more of her corrosive liquid from her palms against the rocks in front of her. Her task was to erode as many of the rocks as she possibly could before they took a short break. At least fifty was her target, and she was to push beyond that fi she could. Failing to do so, according to Aizawa, would result in extra remedial lessons, on top of the ones that he was already giving her.

Did he even sleep at night? Mina had to wonder, if he even functioned like a regular human being at all. At this point, she wasn't sure if it was a well documented logical ruse or not, though she was certainly not even going to risk the possibility of doing more for even a slight second. So it was with her every single ounce of strength that she pushed herself well past her limits, and forced herself to keep her Quirk active for as long as absolutely possible. Despite how badly her skin stung, and how much pain she was in, she was refusing to back off for even a second.

Plus Ultra, after all.

Izuku wasn't letting the thrashing he was receiving from the transgender male Pussycat member Tiger - And that dude, as it turned out, could seriously throw a punch - Slow him down. While Izuku was certain to push his body to the limit, to mould his bestowed power into his own ability, the Hero he fought against was simply more experienced, and was easily putting him down time and time again. Determined to take on all the Strength Enhancement type Quirk users by himself, Tiger was both willing, and also very capable of doing so, keeping every single one of them at bay as he fought them off, evading them and countering each attack with his Pliabody Quirk.

Strength Enhancement types, Mina felt, did have some pretty cool powers. Simple yet versatile, they were pretty lucky in the number of things that they could do. Plus they were powerful, and often pretty flashy too. Still, as much as Mina did admire those who had those straightforward augmentation powers, she was very happy with her own Quirk. For all the issues that it did bring with it, she did like everything that he power let her do. She enjoyed how unique it was, and how, with training, her power would truly be a deadly power against Villains, and give her enough versatility to do what she wanted to.

So even though it hurt, she continued to pool as much Acid as she could within her palm. She wasn't able to generate a huge amount though. As she continued to use her Quirk, subsequent pools of the corrosive liquid became less and less effective and corrosive overall. It was because of this that she needed, according to Aizawa, to extend her Quirk.

Taking a sharp breath inwards, she took a step forward, and threw what little liquid she had managed to make, at the pile of rocks that she had been splashing with Acid all morning. While comparatively little compared to what she'd been able to produce earlier, it was still enough to at least dissolve some of the earth in front of her. She'd managed to erode about two thirds of it now, though the final third still looked like a mountain.

Her throbbing palms allowed her to feel her own blood pumping throughout her hands. "Oooooww..." If she did have one distaste towards her own Quirk though, it was that the drawback to overusing it freaking hurt.

Still, as a ranged Emitter type, her task wasn't too different to Bakugou's, which was exactly what she'd been hoping for. Looking over towards the blonde haired boy to whom she held genuine animosity towards, she saw that his hands were submerged in heating water, while he roared and kept activating his power within said water. How exactly this was helping him to extend his Quirk, Mina didn't have even the first clue, but what she was sure about from watching him was that he was struggling, just the same as everyone else.

Her initial plan had been to confront him during their session, but since they had all been so busy, she hadn't had the chance to do so. Her new plan involved waiting for their break, where she then would demand that he answer her questions regarding himself and Izuku. Since they were both under similar instructions, actually getting him to engage in a conversation wasn't going to be difficult.

She would get to the bottom of their hostility with one another, even if she had to take a few explosions to the face to do it.

* * *

Break time arrived. With just a few minutes to spare, Mina had succeeded in her assigned task, though her hands felt nothing but numbness and throbbing pain. Her breathing was ragged, and sweat was running down her forehead as she used her knees and arms to support her hunched over torso. Heavy breathing made its presence known, as everyone took in deep inhales, and let out loud exhales as their bodies craved oxygen.

Honestly, she had pushed her Quirk to the absolute brink, and she didn't think that she could generate any more Acid even if she wanted to. She'd gone far beyond her limits. Going further wouldn't improve her endurance, resistance, or her Quirk at all. All she'd succeed in doing was hurting herself, in the same way that hitting a punching bag after a person's knuckles started to bleed served to achieve nothing but self-harm.

The same was true for virtually every single student. Their bodies needed just a bit of time to recover, for their Quirks to reset, and regrow, before pushing themselves once again. That at least was the logic behind the break here. A lot of the students did seem surprised that they were even permitted to have one, half expecting to be pushed until the sun went down, or until they collapsed and were unable to even move.

Some students were already at that point anyway. For some students, like Kirishima, Ojiro and Tsuyu, whom all had Quirks that had effectiveness dependant on their physical state, the training was brutal, and more painful than it was for those who had Emission type powers. For them, unlike Emitter types, they weren't focused on extending their Quirks activation time, but the overall effectiveness of their Quirk. Which, in Kirishima's case, meant getting the crap kicked out of him over and over again while he tried to maintain his Hardening. All of them were covered in batters, scratched and bruises from their training.

Other cases included those like Kaminari, Sero, Mineta and Yaororozu and Mina herself, all pushed well beyond their normal bodily limitations. Like the pink girl, the Electrification, Tape, Pop-Off and Creation Quirk users were reaching a point where their Quirks were overall less effective and producing far less, all due to their overuse of their powers.

Then you had someone like Izuku, who, despite being as tired as just about everyone else, was in a small clustered group with other Strength Enhancement types, be them from Class 1A or Class 1B, all going over various methods of improvement, and making notes on the new Quirks that he'd seen today. The only person from his own class in said group was Rikido, someone he barely ever interacted with, but was doing so in order to discuss new attacking methods and ways in which they could push their Quirks.

"Is he... Always like this?" One of the Class 1B students questioned, clearly taken aback by the sheer amount of muttering, ideas and note taking that the green haired boy was doing. If Mina recalled, that particular student had the Quirk called Swivelling, and he was someone who Tiger had taken on as well as Izuku.

"You tend to get used to it." Rikido responded, long having adapted to the personality quirks of Izuku, as everyone else in Class 1A had.

"This dude's freakin' crazy."

Mina hadn't expected anything less from her boyfriend, managing to smile lightly at the sight of him and the four Strength Enhancers all grouped up. Of course he'd leap at the opportunity to compare tactics with other Strength Enhancement Quirk users. He'd leap at every single opportunity he got to get another person's perspective on how best to utilise a Quirk like theirs. She'd also thought he was a little bit crazy when she first started getting to know him, but that had all changed so dramatically when she learned, everything he did was simply in pursuit of becoming an amazing Hero.

The fact did remain though... He was a Hero in Training who didn't seem able to stand up for himself against his childhood bully.

Which returned Mina to her self-imposed task at hand - Getting information out of Bakugou and figuring out what on earth his problem was. How exactly she was going to go about doing that, she didn't really have the first idea. Her plan basically started and ended at just outright asking him, she hadn't thought about exactly what it was that she was going to say to make him spill the truth about the whole mess.

After a few moments of internal debate, she just decided that she'd wing it. Whatever happened, happened.

Scanning around for him for a few seconds, Mina spotted the Explosion Quirk user sat on his own by one of the rock piles that littered the area. He was fairly far away from everyone else, having gone out of his way to avoid having to socialize with anyone else.

Which was absolutely perfect for Mina. She wasn't going to have to deal with other people asking what she was doing talking to him, or have to have this no doubt destined to be argument right next to other people, or have to put up with other people telling her to back away from him when this devolved into shouting.

It was just her, and him.

She made a beeline right for him, which overall only took about thirty seconds to reach him. She had to go around a small group of Class B students who had all sat in a square on the ground with crossed legs, and another student who was just laid down on the floor, sprawled out wide. She stepped over that particular one, and then made her way right towards Bakugou.

His gaze or glare, whatever it was at that moment, was down, towards the ground in front of him. Primarily, it seemed like his focus was on healing and recovering his strength and stamina, and getting the feeling back into his hands so he could generate his sparks once more. Mina stepped right in front of him, looking down on the sat down teenager, and waiting for him to look up at her.

For a few moments, he didn't make any movement whatsoever, either because he didn't notice that someone was stood right there in front of him, or because he simply didn't care, and wanted them to get the message that he simply wasn't interested in whatever it was that they wanted him for. Mina didn't move though. She could have said something to him, to get hold of his attention, but she didn't, because frankly, she didn't want to say anything more to this guy than was absolutely necessary.

With a groan, and then finally looking up at the person in front of him, Bakugou growled and looked up at Mina, glaring her right in the eye. "What."

Red eyes and a fierce scowl, Bakugou had unleashed the same look he gave towards Izuku every time the two of them had to interact in any way. Considering that Izuku had been abused by his classmate for the majority of his life, and he associated that glare with incoming pain and belittlement, Mina couldn't blame him for being intimidated by it. And on Izuku, it might work. But Mina wasn't Izuku, and didn't share any of his meekness traits. Instead, she returned the glare right back at the agitated blonde haired boy without any signs of fear at all. "You and I need to have a talk, Bakugou."

A look of surprise - Or as close to one as it was ever going to be - Emerged on the Explosion Quirk users face. As it stood, he and Mina never spoke, not even on a semi-regular basis, and barely even interacted at all. Until yesterday, the two hadn't even really interacted at all, aside from that the Sports Festival, and even then, they'd barely spoken back then. Of course, Bakugou was completely aware of her and Izuku's relationship, as was everyone else after the announcement at Kaminari had unwittingly made. Interestingly though, out of everyone who had been there for that totally unnecessary public revelation of their relationship, Bakugou was the only person who was shown not to give a damn. In fact, his explosive reaction had been what had gotten everyone to back off the new couple. This had been months ago, though.

While Bakugou had claimed not to care back then, there was still some hostility from him that Mina and Izuku recognised towards them as individuals for different reasons. While it did seem at times that he had a bone to pick with everyone, this particular brand of rage was different. Like burning resentment, a whole new breed for the Explosion Quirk user.

For Izuku, he felt that once again, he'd been shown up by the same person whom he'd dismissed as pathetic, worthless, and little more than a pebble in the path to him becoming a Hero. In some ways, he was obviously jealous of Izuku for having a girlfriend, even though he'd made no effort to get involved in a romantic relationship with anyone in his entire life. It wasn't that he held any feelings for Mina, or seemingly anyone within their class, but that he saw it as a sign that Izuku was more popular than he was, a fact that caused him anger. Whenever something positive happened to Izuku, Bakugou just seemed to take it as a personal insult to him, no matter what it was, and how little it really did have to do with him.

When it came to Mina though, his feelings were more irritation focused than they were on the furious side of the spectrum. They weren't positive emotions, but they were less violent towards the Acid Quirk user than the One For All inheritor. He felt annoyance that she saw something in Izuku, angry that she couldn't see him for the Quirkless runt he was supposed to be. Irritated by her willingness to stand by him regardless of the situation. Otherwise though, he had no opinion about Mina whatsoever.

Frankly, he couldn't even remember her name. As far as he was concerned, she was just Izuku's girlfriend, with barely any other identity of her own, or factors or features that were worth any particular notice.

"The fuck do you want?" He questioned, hiding none of his dislike for the pink skinned girl. As he spoke, his fingers began to twitch, a sign of his already naked irritation. Given how his Quirk worked, it served as an intimidation tactic just as much as anything else did.

Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Mina closed her eyes as she exhaled out her mouth, before reopening her gold coloured eyes and made direct eye contact with him. "I want to know what your problem is with Izuku. I wanna know why you treat him the way you do."

Bakugou's expression changed slightly, to one that, to the closest it was going to get when it came to this guy, surprise and uncertainty. His eyebrows buried deeper into his eyes as he resumed his glare. This was the first time that anyone had ever directly challenged his treatment of Izuku. What was more, from his perspective, this question had come out of absolutely nowhere, from someone he never spoke to.

"What's it to you?"

"Aside from the fact I'm his girlfriend? Call it curiosity." Mina stated, folding her arms across her chest, and shifting her weight onto her left leg. Her eyes narrowed as she glared right back at Bakugou, not wavering in what she was doing. "Izuku's told me everything that you've done to him, and we've all seen the way you are with him. I know about all of it, so don't even bother trying to claim it's all a lie. I wanna know why you act this way towards him."

"That's none of your fucking business." Dismissing the inquiry with a harsh snap, not even waiting for Mina to finish her full sentence, cutting her off before she'd reached the final word. As he spoke, Bakugou turned his head away from the pink haired girl, like he expected that to be the absolute end of the conversation. The way he spoke made that perfectly clear.

Something Mina had already picked up on was the straight up unwillingness that Bakugou had to even talk about this particular subject, either because he was too tired, or because he simply didn't care. Maybe, beyond all doubt, he felt shame for his previous actions, and shame was exactly what he should feel, in Mina's eyes. He should be ashamed of everything that he'd done to Izuku, and that was putting it as mildly as possible. He should feel remorse and shame for his past transgressions.

Based on his personality though, she wasn't actually doubting much that it was because he was exhausted and wanted to spend his time right now recovering.

But she had absolutely no intention of just letting him get out of this discussion.

"It actually is my business, since it's my boyfriend you've just been attacking – "

"So, what, Deku couldn't fucking get the nerve to say any of this shit to my face so he sent you, Racoon Eyes? Is that what this is?" It marked the first time that Bakugou had yelled throughout this entire conversation, and as he did so, he immediately shot and stood right up, allowing him to tower well over the half a foot shorter girl. His explosive temperament, for the first time, made Mina flinch and step back for a second, and made her feel multiple pairs of eyes land on her back as they all heard the outburst by the Explosion Quirk user.

Everyone in Class 1A was just used to him and his loud, baseless threats, and had adapted themselves to them. Bakugou yelling was just like a cockerel calling in the morning, and everyone reacted to it about the same way. In a lot of cases, it was actually pretty funny seeing him angry, since he got so worked up over the smallest things. Very few people had been on the end of a totally serious, vindictive verbal blasting from him.

For the first time, Mina felt that same shiver down her spine that Izuku must have felt whenever he had to deal with his old classmate. Perhaps because she'd pushed him, perhaps because he grew more and more agitated when he was exhausted, or maybe because she was hitting a nerve with him on this particular topic. His short fuse had been lit, and he had burst out with fury immediately after.

Unlike Izuku though, Mina had dealt with her fair share of bullies in the past, and she knew how they worked, how they thought. She'd dealt with people who were just as intimidating as Bakugou in middle school, though certainly none were as loud, or had quite the same level of powerful Quirks.

When she recovered, she quickly regained her composure and responded with a sharp list of points for the angry blonde to chew on. "First, my name is not 'Racoon Eyes'. Second, Izuku's name is not 'Deku', and thirdly, Izuku had no idea I even planned on talking to you, and what does that have to do with anything in the first place?!" She could see Bakugou growling through clenched teeth, be it out of irritation or because he simply wanted nothing to do with this conversation.

Ironically though, he was distracting her from perusing the question that she had come over to get an answer for in the first place.

"What the hell makes you think that it's just okay for you to attack people like that?! What kind of Hero do you even want to be – In fact, why are you even here? You don't act like a Hero, you act like a spoiled brat!"

"Deku was just supposed to be a fucking pebble I could get out of my way whenever I felt like it!"

"Well he's not! He's more of a Hero than you are, and more of a Hero than you're ever going to be!"

"The fuck you say?!"

"He's actually here training wth his Quirk because he wants to help people! He's actually doing his best to become a good student and a good Hero! He studies hard and he trains harder! You know fully well that all he'd need to do is say a few words about the kind of treatment you have towards him, and you'd be totally alienated from everyone in the entire class! He could probably destroy any chance you have of being recruited by a Hero Agency if he seriously wanted to, but he doesn't even talk bad about you when I'm the one asking when we're on a date for God's sake! You know why? Because he's not just – Just a glorified bully with a powerful Quirk!"

"You want to see how powerful my fucking Quirk is, Racoon Eyes?!" Yelled the red eyed boy, throwing his clawed hands to his sides and letting loose a pair of small explosions within his palms. "You wanna try and threaten and insult me?! You wanna fight?!"

Instinctively, Mina allowed her arms to secrete her Acid as a defensive mechanism. Her body automatically positioned itself ready to engage in a fight. Realistically, she wasn't sure what sort of chances she'd have in a fight against someone like Bakugou, but if that was what it was going to come to, she was more than ready to throw down.

She was actually annoyed with the guy enough to go through with a brawl anyway. She actually wanted to go through with this. Her hands turned to fists as the two faced off, showing off their Quirks to one another as they waited to see if the other would either make the first move, or back down.

Bakugou wasn't going to back down at all, and both of them knew this perfectly well. Always itching for a fight, he already seemed to be spreading his lips to show off that shit-eating grin he always pulled whenever he was in a fight. The horned girl scowled at him, but stood equally ready to fight. She wasn't going to back down either, sufficiently angry with her boyfriend's bully that she was willing to fight him. Wanted to fight him.

So it was just a case of who was going to make the first move.

"Woah, woah woah woah woah! Bakugou, calm down!"

"Mina, stop it!"

Before the first move could be thrown however, Kirishima and Izuku quickly had ran between the two of them, respectively blocking the way of the individual they had a closer relationship towards, with Kirishima trying to get Bakugou to calm down, while Izuku had stepped in front of Mina before she could do anything stupid.

A look of panic was spread all over Izuku's face, wide eyes and his irises shaking in disbelief. How much of it had he actually heard, Mina questioned internally. Looking past him, she noticed that virtually all eyes, even those of the teachers and Pro's there, had landed on both her and the Explosion Quirk user. She wasn't sure when they had started staring at her, though she was convinced that it was the other boy's voice that had gotten their attention, since he was way louder than she was. Looking back towards her boyfriend, Mina could see the absolute surprise clearly evident on his face. He hadn't expected this in a thousand years. Static from his Quirk was just sparking off of his body – Clearly he had leaped over here in a hurry to stop the fight before it even began.

"Cool off, Bakugou! Just chill dude!" Kirishima was trying, in vain, to get the aggressive teenager to calm himself, trying to swat his hands down to his sides so his Quirk wouldn't pose a danger to anyone in his enraged state.

"Deku!" He yelled at Izuku, barely even two feet away from him at this stage. "Control your fucking psycho girlfriend, and tell her to mind her own fucking business about shit that doesn't concern her!"

"Screw you!" Mina yelled right back, with never before heard venom in her voice. Fury that no one had ever seen before on the Acid Quirk users face, or heard in her tone. She was displaying anger that honestly seemed to make her appear like a totally different person altogether. Mina with anger didn't seem to be Mina, but someone else that the class hadn't even met before.

Izuku especially was taken aback by this display of sheer anger, that he wasn't even sure what it was that he should do in this situation. Mina was normally so carefree that he had never seen her more than mildly annoyed before. This was a whole new monster.

"M-Mina, please, calm down – "

"No, screw that, I'm pissed off now!" She yelled at the top of her voice, one step short of pushing straight past Izuku and clocking the boy whom she held serious resentment for straight in the jaw, she yelled, "What the hell is your problem, Bakugou?!"

Totally disregarding her question, Bakugou just responded with a simple, yet effective, "Fuck you!"

Blinking sharply twice after looking over his shoulder as Kirishima pushed back the angry, explosive boy with the help of Kaminari running up to pull him away, Izuku turned back to Mina, his confusion in his wide eyes clear for everyone to see. "Mina, what – What's going on here? Why're you even talking to Kacchan in the first place?"

"The guy's a huge jerk." Mina growled. "He's just a bully who got lucky enough to be born with a powerful Quirk. He treats you and everyone like shit, and I want to know why."

Swearing wasn't something Mina did all that often, and never so vehemently violently. Was this just how she got when she was angry beyond all normal levels? Clearly, this was something she felt very strongly about, anyone who had a pair of working eyes could see that….

But still…

"Y-You shouldn't talk to him if it's gonna make you so angry…" Izuku said, taking her hand into his, and looking her in the eye. "It's… Not worth it. Kacchan's just… I know the way he treats me isn't okay… But I'm, I'm used to it, it's okay. You don't need to go and start a fight with him because of me…"

Blinking just as sharply as Izuku had a while ago, Mina looked up at her boyfriend.

In a state of shock, not quite able to believe what it was that she was hearing. Knowing Izuku though, he meant what he was saying. It almost sounded like resignation, acceptance of this situation. Like the status quo was okay, despite him knowing, and having vocally said before that it wasn't. She knew his anxiety around Bakugou – It was so well documented by just about anyone in the class – Prevented him from doing things like comparing himself to the egotistical prodigy, favourably anyway. It prevented him from thinking that he stood on equal footing with him, despite the fact that they did now, in terms of strength, at least in Mina's opinion. She was aware of his admiration of the boy for his confidence and refusal to give up. He at least had the sense to admire his positive traits…

But the fact that he was just so willing to allow his negative traits to go unpunished… Without a protest, or even a word of defiance… It was like she was talking to someone who had no self-respect. Born Quirkless, and knowing everything she knew… It wasn't like she didn't get it…

That being said though… She didn't have to like it. She didn't have to like it one little bit. And she didn't.

From the display that Bakugou had just given…. Mina was under no disillusion that he knew that what he was doing was wrong, messed up, only okay in his made up ideal that he was some sort of destined warrior and Hero of the people. Yuuei had broken down that narcissistic view of himself, as it did for pretty much anyone who entered the school thinking they were the best, and that had resulted in Bakugou knowing that he couldn't get away with his abusive behaviour anymore. She didn't doubt this for a second. Bakugou knew what he was doing was messed up.

He did it anyway though. And Izuku was just…

"…You're telling me to just let it go?" She questioned quietly, looking down towards the ground as she spoke. Her voice was calm, at least right now, if a bit wavy. She was quieter than normal, so Izuku had to actually listen very closely in order to hear anything that she said.

"Huh?" Confused as to what Mina meant, all Izuku could do in response was make a noise that conveyed that feeling. He wasn't sure what she meant by that, or what it was that she was trying to say.

"After everything he's done to you, the way he treats you, all the stories you've told me about him… After everything that's happened, you want to just let him get away with it? You're not even going to demand an answer from him yourself?" Her fingers gripped tightly onto his hand, tighter than was comfortable for the freckled boy. "How aren't you furious with him? I don't get it… How can you seriously just stand there and tell me that just because you're used to it, it's okay? Because, what, you don't think you're worth getting angry over?"

"Mina?"

"…It might not piss you off, Izuku…"

Suddenly, Mina, using all the strength in her arm, ripped her hand away from Izuku, glaring right into his green eyes, with a look of total, pure fury that Izuku rarely ever saw on anyone's face, and one that he'd never seen anything close to on Mina's before. Anger was such a foreign emotion to see expressed by his normally cheery girlfriend, it actually scared him to see it on her face, even more than it did when Bakugou screamed abuse at him.

And he'd never seen anything close to anger being directed towards him from Mina. It honestly freaked him out. She looked like she was so angry that she could kill someone – And with a Quirk like hers, it wouldn't even be a difficult task.

"…But it really makes so angry I wanted to use my Quirk to burn his eyes out!"

With such a violent declaration over and done with, Mina turned around in a huff, back towards the training field that everyone had just left. Ignoring any signals or calls out from her friends, who were, like Izuku, totally aghast at the display Mina had just given them. Tsuyu and Uraraka tried to approach her, but instead, the annoyed girl just picked up her pace, making a straight beeline for the pile of rocks she'd been working on eroding, her fingers dripping Acid as she made her way over.

In an effort to try to get her to stop, Izuku, though he was still shaken by the display that had gone down right in front of him, tried to call out to her. "M-Mina, we're on break for another hour – "

"Well I'm really fucking angry!" She yelled right back, before vanishing behind a pile of dirt as she made her way to her training area to vent her frustrations. She wasn't normally the kind of person to use violence as a way to express anger and let off steam, preferring more productive methods to deal with negative emotion. Internal ranting, gaming, watching some videos on the internet, something that she could refocus her attention onto.

But since none of those options were available to her, there was a first time for everything.

* * *

 **Doing Back-to-back events in this story is certainly different to what I'm used to. It's a fun change though.**

 **This was… Certainly a challenge. Quick point to make before I make any other points – I included Tiger being transgender (Which he is in canon) mainly to spread awareness to people who don't know about it. Didn't want people thinking I was ignoring it. Tiger himself is pretty fun, and he's got a cool Quirk – And I do mean** _ **he**_ **in these sentences. I am honestly fine with whatever identity people have. The only thing I don't tolerate is intolerance and bigotry. Since there was a whole thing about it on the Wiki lately, I just felt it best to make my stance abundantly clear in black and white. Might be a bit late to mention this late in the story, but people of all races, sexual orientation, identity, genders and etc are all welcome here.**

 **(Edit - I just got an anonymous review I didn't allow because bigotry... But really, if you're going to be transphobic, homophobic, or whatever, and you don't even have the guts to use your account to say you stand by your crap proudly, but have to hide because you know what you're saying is bullshit... I cannot express the unending disgust that I have for you. I really can't.)**

 **Right, now we've gotten my moral obligation sorted – I do apologise for this being late. With my girlfriend back in Canada, my schedule has just needed time to readjust, and hopefully this weekend has left me shift everything back on track. I'll be trying my best to get back to my regularly scheduled uploads, including this and First Generation.**

 **Anyway, since Mina and Bakugou basically never even talk outside of the Sports Festival in canon (I seriously have no idea why anyone considers her to be part of the 'Bakusquad', since the only one she's even arguably friends with in it is Kirishima) it was difficult to get a handle on the kind of interactions they'd have. I like to imagine that when Mina is angry though, she gets full-on furious though. This is also the first bit of conflict between her and Izuku – My feeling is that Izuku just wouldn't see himself as something worth a fight over – It'll be explored more next chapter, for both Mina and Izuku and their feelings regarding the whole incident. I'm open to criticism on this one, since I do feel I could have improved on it… I just have no idea how to.**

 **I do read every single review after all. One of the best parts about doing these stories.**

 **Also wanted to pitch an idea to you all I've been toying with – A MHA-Ajin crossover. Anyone who hasn't watched Ajin – Ajin is a show about a race of Humans who are immortal and come back to life when killed. My idea would be to put Ajin in the MHA world. Without spoiling anything, I thought it could be a fun idea. Looking for what you guys think about that one.**

 **I hope you managed to enjoy regardless though, and I hope you're looking forward to next chapter. See you!**


	37. He's Not Deku!

Mina felt her palms, her knuckles, and her fingertips all throb and bleed. There wasn't a huge amount of blood, just enough that one would expect from punching and attacking a punching bag until ones fists were raw and cut, but it was enough to have an effect on her Quirk. Only in this particular case, the punching bag was a rock that she'd spent the last while beating down. Thanks to Acid, each impact she made against it was slightly cushioned, a bit like padding from a boxing glove. Only slightly though. At the end of the day, she was still attacking a solid composite of minerals. Whenever she created more Acid, it mixed in with the blood, turning it from a greenish-clear substance to a reddish one.

It wasn't pleasant to look at, or to feel for the Quirk user. The stinging of her wounds was becoming more and more prominent when she actually took half a second to notice her battered hands.

But she wasn't in any particular mood to care about something like that. When anger got into her system, it stayed there, and it burned there for quite a long time, unless she had some sort of release for it. It was so rare an emotion to her that Mina hadn't particularly learned to deal with it in a healthier way. Hard to annoy, and slow to reach her limit, actually losing her cool took a lot of time. Days, or even weeks had to be stacked on top of one another before she'd reach her limit, under normal circumstances. She could easily tolerate each and every one of her siblings doing their best to annoy her, all at once. That was easy.

Watching and hearing about Bakugou's abuse of the boy she loved, and the terrible things that he'd done to him for so long - That did it. That was something that did get under her skin. That was something that dug so deep into her skin, it felt like it was buried in there for all eternity, and was near impossible to get out, that triggered her anger and made her lash out in a frenzy of furious rage.

Hence why she was still here, an hour after everyone else had left. Her body was feeling the negative effects of her Quirk, but her mind was just ignoring it, blanking it out. Physical pain wasn't something that she was in the mood to even acknowledge. So put simply, she refused to do so. It wasn't worth paying any mind to.

And it wasn't going to help her vent this aggression out.

She could not, for the life of her, get why Bakugou acted the way he did. It just didn't make any sense to her. What on earth was going on inside his head that made him act like this? What part of him thought that this was all okay? What sort of upbringing did he have that made him believe himself superior to everyone else? What did he even get out of being such a jerk to everyone else? Did he find pleasure in it, or did he seriously believe that he simply had the right to act like a scumbag because he was just lucky enough to have a powerful Quirk?

After having been unleashing her anger towards this rock pile for the better half of five hours now, and having had enough time to think about everything that had transpired, she felt she had a guess ready. Not that she had any way of confirming it, but based on what she knew about the turbulent relationship that he and her boyfriend shared, Mina felt that she could, at least, get parts of his resentment right.

Bakugou was scared of Izuku.

More accurately, of how quickly he'd caught up to him. From Quirkless, to having such a powerful, flashy, and versatile Quirk that made Explosion look limited in comparison, and, when used at 100%, One For All made Bakugou's Quirk look like splattering of paint next to such sheer, earth shaking, shattering and raw power, Bakugou felt his superiority slipping, and lashed out at those whom he felt were threatening his place at the top. In the same vein, perhaps that was why he resented Todoroki for essentially giving up during the Sports Festival. It was one less chance to prove he was better than everyone else.

But he wasn't better than everyone else. He no longer had that firm, iron belief in his own strength anymore. Mina finally going up and outright demanding him to explain himself had been just one of the many triggers to outrage he seemed to have. The fact he was now being called out to face the consequences of his actions was something he just hadn't ever considered, or wanted to consider. Now that the time was here, he was going to fight off any sense of responsibility towards his past that he could.

Verbally, or violently.

That, at least, was her best guess. Without confirmation from Izuku or anyone else, any frame of reference from anyone who also shared classes with the two, or anyone who even knew them, it was all she had to go off of.

So it wouldn't be a surprise if she was wrong on a couple of things. The fact did remain though, that no matter the reasons, Bakugou was frankly a scumbag, who had no right to even have a Quirk like he did, never mind train to be a Hero. All he was was fortunate, blessed with good genes and two parents who had suitable Quirks to create the monster that was the Explosion Quirk. He was lucky.

He was born lucky, not superior.

But…. In spite of her fury towards the red eyed teen, that wasn't what was frustrating her so much. That wasn't why she was so angry, and beating down anything strong enough to withstand her Acid. He might drive her up the wall, but that wasn't even close to the full reason behind her frustrations and irritation.

That belonged to Izuku.

"Uh… Hey, Mina?"

Stopping from attacking the boulders before her, the pink skinned girl turned her head, looking towards Tsuyu and Uraraka, both of whom had approached her with looks of worry in both their black and brown eyes.

"What is it?" The yellow eyed girl questioned, ceasing her secretion of the corrosive liquid from her skin. She hissed as she did so, feeling the cool gust of wind hitting her cuts and bruises. She wasn't in the mood to really interact with anyone else right now. She wanted to be left on her own, to unleash this burning pit of rage inside her on her own terms, so no one could see it.

"Um… We were just kinda getting worried. Are you, uh… Alright?" The Zero Gravity user questioned, looking down at all the rubble that surrounded the Acid Quirk users feet. A total of about fifteen to twenty boulders, with a far higher number of chunks of rock pulled straight from one of the artificial cliff sides made by Pixie-Bob, eroded by the unending power of Mina's superpower.

It could not be more clear that she wasn't even close to anything even remotely resembling 'Alright'.

Letting out a small growl, Mina turned back to the boulder she'd been working on. Down the centre of it, a crack had begun to form, weakened by the volley of strikes she'd used against it. Now it threatened to split into two jagged, uneven parts. She let out a long winded sigh, before closing her eyes lightly shut. "No, I'm not. I'm really freakin' angry."

"We'd gathered that." Tsuyu flatly stated, glancing around the area. Evidence of Mina's Quirk at use was everywhere. Erosion in random sedimentary rocks, none-acidic goo laying in places, cracks in the walls and rocks, and a mess of debris all along the cliff side. It looked like a Villain had been here and just smashed things up with a Strength-Enhancement Quirk. "You've been training for well over the required amount of time. You've barely stopped for a break all day. To be honest, I'm amazed that your Quirk had held out this long. Everyone else was out of it after just a couple of hours."

It's an improvement, I guess." Mina shrugged. The only reason that she wasn't continuing to unleash hell upon the rocks that were around her was because she didn't want to accidentally hurt either of her friends with her Quirks lack of overall control. All it would take was one stray drop of Acid to give one of them a nasty burn. She let out another sigh. "Bakugou got to me earlier." She admitted, folding her arms, and looking at her hands. With the number of self-inflicted injuries covering her knuckles and palms, she wasn't going to even be slightly surprised if they started to scar lightly. "He was just born lucky. He just got lucky to have a powerful Quirk like his, but he treats everyone else like they're garbage because of it. He treats people he used to be friends with like dirt because of it. I just… I don't get it. What pleasure does he get from it?"

These were questions that pretty much everyone in Class 1A wanted to know, and the only person who would reveal the answers – Bakugou himself – Was tight lipped, refusing to utter a single word about his reasons. It wasn't like Mina was asking any seriously philosophical questions.

"I don't get it and it's driving me crazy. Why does Izuku just let it all happen to him? He barely ever even says anything back to the guy. He just lays down and accepts all of it, and even stopped me from giving him what he deserves. What sort of person defends their childhood bully like that?!..."

"Are you upset because of that argument with Deku – "

" _Stop calling him Deku!_ " Mina sharply and violently snapped, turning her glare right towards Uraraka, unrepressed fury lashed out with her yelling. "That's not his name!"

The Zero Gravity Quirk user almost literally jumped back in reflexive shock, and genuinely flinched at the scowl Mina had on her face. The naked anger was clearly visible to all who saw it, looking like Mina was one step away from actually just outright attacking. Though it hadn't been directed towards her, the Frog Form Quirk user had shuddered herself, and frozen in place at Mina's surprisingly loud voice. Rare as it was for Mina to get angry, never mind the over-the-top levels of lividity that she was expressing, she ever lashed out at her friends like this before, for any reason at all.

And when she herself realized what she'd done, her eyes shot wide open in shock.

Rationality made its way back into her head. She knew that Uraraka and Izuku had been friends long before she and him had even spoken to one another, never mind actually started dating. Even though Bakugou used it as a slang word, as an insult, to the green haired boy, Uraraka saw it as anything but. She saw it as endearing, almost, using it like a compliment and affectionate nickname rather than a way to try to hurt Izuku's pride and person.

More to the point, Izuku was totally fine with her calling him 'Deku', and she meant absolutely no harm by it at all. There was no reason to be angry.

She'd just reacted towards that word, because she associated it with Bakugou trying to upset Izuku. As him barely regarding him as a person of worth in any way.

"…I'm sorry." She said, quickly once she'd realized that she'd lashed out for no reason. Taking a deep breath, and looking away from either of the two girls, she repeated herself, after a very long sigh. "I'm really sorry…"

There were a few seconds of silence between the three of them, none sure of what to say, or what to do right now. Suddenly, Mina felt all of the anger in her body wash away, replaced primarily with guilt. Two of her fingers found their way to the bridge of her nose, where she pinched down, hard, as her eyes firmly closed themselves, scrunching up tightly. The last few weeks had been filled with little more but stress and apprehension for her – The fear of not passing the Semester's Exams, which she didn't. The obstacles on the way to becoming a Hero Team with Izuku, and that whole Initiation thing, which, once again, they failed at. Then merely getting to their lodgings, and then that whole mess with Izuku not too long ago….

Not that it was any sort of excuse for shouting at people who hadn't done anything wrong whatsoever.

How much anger did she have packed into her? How much had she just let slide, bitten her tongue over, and had to simply accept Izuku's word on things? How much frustration had just…. Built up to the boiling point?

There weren't words. Mina hadn't felt like this before, ever. Not this badly. It was just absolutely surreal to even her. Now she just felt badly about it.

"What's…. What's wrong with you today?" When she found herself able to question her friend, Uraraka found herself wanting to know what was going through the horned girls head. Nothing about how she was acting today was like her.

At all.

"Urgh… Bakugou's been getting to me, I think…." Explained the Acid Quirk user, lowering her head as she did so. "I guess I just reached my limit on how much of his crap I'm willing to tolerate. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out at you like that, Uraraka."

"Don't… Worry about it." The brunette said, gulping as she did so. Not that she blamed Mina in any way. After having pent up so much, it was only natural that she would reach a breaking point.

The main question was, was that point reached because of Bakugou, or Izuku?

* * *

The pampering, as the Pussycats put it, ended on the second day, just as they had warned the students. At around four PM, after a short break from their training, Ragdoll and Pixie-Bob had hauled out a tables worth of ingredients in front of the students, and told them to get to work if they wanted to eat tonight. All cooked and mixed together, the food would add up to a curry. Not exactly a mind-blowing, chef's choice assault on the taste buds curry, but an edible one, and the difference to a group of starving, exhausted students was negligible at best.

Izuku barely knew anything about cooking. Frankly, it wasn't one of his small list of talents or life skills. He had always been so worried about his future career path due to his lack of a Quirk, he just hadn't been able to absorb any other skills necessary to survive. His brain wouldn't let him. He had a rough idea on what to do, but he felt he'd be lucky if he only burned it.

A real disaster would be if it set on fire… An event that Izuku wasn't proud to admit he'd caused in the past.

Still, he'd made sure that he'd put all the ingredients in the right way, based on his limited knowledge on cooking. He'd also made sure he made more than enough for two people – For when Mina retuned. If she returned.

While he'd said to Aizawa that Mina was still at the training grounds well after everyone else had packed it up for a break, the Erasure Hero didn't seem too phased by the news, or see it as any cause for alarm. In fact, he almost seemed pleasantly surprised by the news, and told the rest of the students to leave her to it. Since they were supposed to be cooking for themselves, he said, if she chose not to eat, it was her choice. Izuku didn't like that logic though, so he'd made sure that he'd made enough for her to get her fill too. All he'd have to do was reheat it.

He'd wanted to go and drag his girlfriend back to them camp… But Uraraka and Tsuyu had already beaten him to it.

Above everything else, a loud crack and boom was suddenly heard from within the campsite, not that it was an unusual sound to anyone in Class 1A anymore. Bakugou was just using his Quirk. That was the point they were all at – A literal explosion wasn't a ceremonious occurrence for them.

"Bakugou, for the third time dude, you can't make a fire with explosions." Sero told the hot headed blond, sounding resigned and exasperated, knowing full well that his words were falling on deaf ears.

"Just watch me, damn it!" Another detonation came a few seconds later. It would be a hot day at the bottom of the ocean before the spiky haired boy would just back down and ask someone else for help, or even just go and get a match to light his firewood with.

It almost made Izuku want to laugh.

Before he could though, his attention got pulled by the corner of his eyes picking up a hint of pink to his left. Quickly looking up, he saw Mina, stood next to him, and looking down on him as he crouched by the fireplace he'd been assigned to light up. Her face was vacant, unusually void of expression, and she didn't say a word, another abnormality.

Uraraka and Tsuyu both gave the green haired boy a worried look each, and then made their way back to the section that they'd been working on before they'd left. While initially, Izuku had planned on going to find out where Mina was himself, both the girls had talked him down from it, saying that they felt it was better if they went to get her. Since the argument was between the two of them, any negative feelings that Mina may still have in her system may begin to boil once Izuku showed up once more.

And it was pretty clear that she wasn't exactly happy with him right now, from just a glance.

"M… Mina…"Unsure of what to say, or what to do in this situation, Izuku desperately tried to find the right words to convey his feelings and emotions to her. To say that he felt remorse, that he wanted to understand things from her perspective, that he wanted her to talk to him about why she got so angry.

They didn't come though. All that came through was her name.

For her part, Mina simply crouched down, picked up a pair of rocks, and began to strike the two of them together over the pile of wood that Izuku had gathered. Her hope was to create a spark that would catch flame on the wood, and spread to heat up the ingredients Izuku had thrown together into the pot hanging on the metal pole between the two ends of the outdoor stove.

In doing so, Izuku noticed her hands.

Raw, cut, and now, after a quick stop by the house for medical supplies, wrapped up in bandages. Some of the cuts ran up her forearms, but these ones were lighter, and less noticeable. It also told in the way that she touched things – Lightly, and carefully, since application of too much pressure was going to sting her. The wounds were minor, of course. Some disinfectant and a good night's sleep later, and she'd be fine. Mina tended to heal fairly quickly anyway.

But it was still a point of concern for Izuku.

"Wha…. Mina, where did those injuries come from?... That's…. That's not from your Quirk, is it?"

No answer came from the pink girl. Once more, she tried to create sparks, but found herself failing constantly, no matter how hard she tried to create the needed ignition. Her attempts became more and more rapid, until she finally gave up, realizing that she wasn't going to start a fire that way, dropping the rocks back in the pile with a defeated sigh. "Damn it."

"Mina?...I - "

"Izuku."

The Acid girl's word was crisp and clear, showing that she had, in fact, been able to hear all of what had been said by the Strength-Enhancement inheritor. She raised her head to look at him, with eyes, void of emotion, an expression that was still freaking Izuku out. He'd never seen her like this before, and he still wasn't sure what to make of it.

She sounded annoyed. Angry at him, although at the same time, Izuku felt that there was a lot more to this particular irritation of hers. More like it was something that she just didn't want to talk about right now, or felt was pointless in discussing. Like it would just prove to be a waste of time, and would only serve to irritate her more.

Moving her pink hair out of the way of her golden irises, she looked him in the eyes, and spoke simply and softly. "Just… Not right now, okay? We'll talk about it later. When I'm less mad." An expression was making itself known in her eyes.

Apprehension. Hesitation. Anxiety, all mixed in with the still present, but less obvious, and less intense than before. This was the first time that the two of them had had a major disagreement, no matter how minor or small it may be, and it had wound up in outright shouting, worse, one-sided. Like Izuku, Mina had no clue how they were supposed to deal with this now.

With all of this as fact, Mina was feeling just as awkward about things right now as he was. Their lack of problems in the past, and the always happy tone between the two of them throughout their relationship…

Neither of them had the first clue what to do in this situation. There were only two things that Mina knew for certain. One of those things was that she was still angry, and number two was that she didn't know how best to resolve this issue.

So she simply opted not to. Instead, she pushed the problem aside for later, hoping that things between her and Izuku would eventually just cool off on their own.

Standing upright, and then looking down at the pile of timber before her, she glanced around, and then raised up her hand. "Hey, Todoroki, could we get some fire over here?"

* * *

 **While it's shorter than the previous chapter, I felt there was only so far I could go with this one. Last chapter and this were focused mostly on the feelings both Izuku and Mina have regarding their fight. A lot of this comes from my own experiences of being bullied, and a lot of you resonated with it. Izuku represents how people who are bullied usually feel, my own experiences telling me that, and Mina's representative of the fury, and in this case, guilt I felt when I lash out at people who are just trying to help.**

 **Screw you bullies, I got the last laugh here!**

 **I'm glad that you all seemed so pleased with the previous chapter. It actually got the most reviews in the story in quite a while, so that made me very happy ^_^ I've got a few more ideas for upcoming ones that I've been looking forward to writing since back in March, and I'm looking forward to sharing them all with you. Hopefully the next few ones will be just as good for you all ^_^**


	38. Silence And Shouting

As it turned out, Mina had far more experience when it came to cooking and making food than Izuku ever did. Be it because she learned in school, her parents taught her, or she taught herself, was unclear, but the fact was that she was good. Very good. Far better than Izuku in any sense of the word.

It was primarily thanks to her knowledge and skill when it came to cooking that the curry Izuku had made actually turned from being nearly burnt, to actually something serviceable, and actually rather enjoyable, given their circumstances.

Not that that part was particularly difficult. Given their circumstances, burnt curry on burnt rice would have been enjoyable. No one was in any mood to complain.

Once all of the food was completed by everyone around them – A case which took a bit longer for the curly haired pair, since more food within the containers meant it would take longer to heat up, in a case of basic physics – it was all placed onto a single able, on which everyone was able to pick and choose what exactly they wanted to eat, sort of like an all service buffet. The logic behind said buffet was, as Iida had phrased it, because Heroes would need to be able to provide sustenance for trapped civilians. In those sorts of situations, usually in the cases of the natural disasters which hit Japan frequently, Heroes would help prepare and supervise recovery operations along with rescue workers and national relief efforts. That meant that everyone would be able to get however much food they needed.

That was true… But Mina had a feeling that he might just be overthinking things a bit in this particular case. Given how some people rolled their eyes at the Engine Quirk user, she had a feeling that she wasn't alone in this particular thought.

Everyone around them was stuffing their faces with as much food as they possibly could, half-starved from training all day on essentially empty stomachs, burning all of their reserves in fat and food through rigorous exercise and Quirk extension practice. Entire plates were devoured in minutes by some of the more gluttonous students within the first year students, before grabbing more just afterwards from the pile of available seconds.

The only real exception to this rule was both Izuku and Mina. Both of them ate normally, rather slowly compared to everyone else. While they sat next to one another, neither of them spoke to the other. Neither knew what to say. What it was that they should talk about when they were in the state they were currently in tight now. Feelings of awkwardness, uncertainty.

Primary cause for the reasons they were so quiet was Mina's statement that she wanted to wait until she'd cooled off before they discussed their disagreement. Izuku, for how curt an answer it was, felt that it was a smart idea. The last thing that he wanted was some sort of uncontrolled shouting match with Mina. Frankly, he didn't think he had it in him to start yelling at her, but if they reached that point…. It'd worry him.

So letting one another just calm down after that whole event… It was smart. Izuku felt he would have suggested the same thing, were their roles reversed.

But that wasn't so say that Mina had meant that she wanted to stop talking altogether, though. When she had said that she didn't want to talk about things until she'd calmed herself down, she didn't mean for that to translate to her not wanting to talk at all. Izuku had apparently taken her request that they just held off on talking about her confrontation with Bakugou

She stole a glance of Izuku in the corner of her eye, before returning to look at her food. She scooped up some with her spoon and shoved it into her mouth. She wasn't particularly hungry right now, and judging by how slowly Izuku was eating, he wasn't either. Their reasons for doing so were the same as the others.

Both might not have eaten all day, but their interactions with one another left them worried. Left that feeling of dread in their stomachs as they thought about the implications of their argument.

Part of Mina knew that she was thinking too much into this. Her parents fought at times, but they were still close, in spite of their arguments and disagreements. She'd seen plenty, and they made up every time. It was something that couples would inevitably do, not out of malice or hatred of the other, but because these things just had to happen. Disagreements and arguments happened.

That was all there was to it. They were unavoidable. No two people were the exact same, especially not in this world of Quirks. Conflicts were inevitable. They would happen. Frankly, Mina was actually pleasantly surprised that they had lasted as long as they had without ending up in a disagreement or fight…. Though that in itself made it hurt that bit more that they had finally had one, and it was over Bakugou's treatment of Izuku. Had Bakugou not treated him so poorly, they still wouldn't have had a fight.

Just another thing Mina blamed the Explosion Quirk user for, on top of his lack of ethics, violent tendencies, constant yelling, and all around just being a terrible person that, in a just world, would have been born Quirkless while Izuku received the Explosion Quirk.

But they didn't live in a just world. That was why Heroes even existed in the first place. The past was already in the past. They had fought, and now they had to live with it

What mattered was how they dealt with it now. It was natural for a couple to fight sometimes, but in doing so, they had to learn to close those wounds to get back to how things were. It was something that Mina had seen her parents do. They'd just not discuss the issue until they'd calmed down, and then would resume discussion in a calmer fashion. For the two of them, it worked pretty well, even if there were a few hiccups in the road. Sometimes they would get irritated with one another even when they moved on from that topic. It wasn't a perfect system, but it did work for them.

And that seemed healthy to their kids, Mina and Micha in particular. The horned girl's older brother applied the same logic with his girlfriend, and they had been together for quite a while. So it wasn't like Mina didn't see how well it worked.

Mina rested her head in her left hand, and looked over to the side, not really paying much attention to her surroundings. Since Izuku had taken it as being silent between the two, she couldn't even talk to the guy. While telling him that she didn't mean for him to just permanently shut up would probably resolve the issue, she felt like he was uncomfortable with even speaking to her right now, which she supposed she could understand. Forcing him into conversation wasn't going to fix the issue. In the short term, it could just make things worse. She let out a long sigh, chewing on her food absently. Her vision blurred as she lacked focus on anything in particular, fading more into memory than anything else.

All of the times that he and she had been on dates.

Their mutual confession towards one another.

Their first kiss.

His confession regarding his Quirkless origins.

Finding him held hostage by Shigaraki.

Deciding to form a Hero Team.

Just getting to the training camp.

In the short few months that they'd been dating, they'd done a lot together, and been through more than most couples would do throughout their entire lives. The lives of those who aspired to be Heroes were like that, she knew, but it didn't change the fact that they had been through the wringer together. Fought villains and trained together. That life of combat and not knowing what the next day was going to bring had always kept the two of them on their toes.

It had only made them grow closer.

Her anger towards Bakugou was totally justified – She knew this, and she certainly wasn't going to forgive him just because Izuku didn't feel it was worth a fight over. Were it down to her, she would have quite eagerly taken him on in that fight he had issued, even if she knew that she wasn't going to win. That was all there, and that wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

…Not that it was worth fighting Izuku over.

The entire point of her confrontation was to figure out why Bakugou treated Izuku like dirt, and shut him down from doing it again. It hadn't been to start a brawl, and it certainly hadn't been intended for Izuku to get caught up in the crossfire.

Would it have been a better idea to speak to Izuku first before confronting Bakugou?

To get her boyfriend's perspective on things?

Learn what it was that he wanted?

Probably. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more Mina felt that she was the one who had made the bad call.

That was really what this came to. A bad call. Acting without thinking, getting emotional, and then taking it out on those around her, and herself. Making her eyesight focus in again, she looked towards her bandaged hands, scarred from the attacks she'd unleashed on the rocks. Those weren't going to go away. They'd be faint, but they'd be there to remind her of her anger fuelled mistake.

Did a Hero make mistakes like that? Did they allow their feelings to get in the way of their duties? Did a Hero get a break when they lashed out at their allies due to stress, animosity, vehement anger or fatigue?

No.

They couldn't afford to. If they did, who knew how many people would end up injured or dead? If they did, the lines between Villain and Hero would become blurry at best, and none-existent at worst. Should she desire to become a Hero, or even just a decent person in this super powered society, she couldn't just lash out.

Rare an event as it was…

Though, think as she might about the practicality of anger, justification towards her resentment for Izuku's childhood friend, her pushing her Quirk well past the reasonable limits just to vent frustration, one fact stood out above everything else that made her feel regret.

She didn't want to fight with Izuku.

There wasn't any other real reason that she could honestly state that she cared about more than that. The fact was, Izuku meant so much to her, the idea of having to get into some sort of heated argument with him was just one that she didn't want to entertain. Not over Bakugou, vermin though he might be. Not over that.

No matter how much Bakugou deserved it, it wasn't worth fighting Izuku over.

When she thought about it like that… she was the one at fault, without question.

"…Hey, Izuku?" Quietly, she tried to address the green haired boy to her side. Her head turned to look at him. "I wanted to – "

He wasn't there though.

"What the – " Surprised, the black eyed girl shot her glances throughout the area in search for the missing boy, finding nothing to suggest to her where it was that he'd disappeared off to. He was nowhere to be seen in any of the usual places, like friends or classmates, or in any of the unusual places for that matter.

Where he actually was, Mina had no idea. She'd spent such a long time zoned out, that she had barely noticed her surroundings change with time. Izuku had apparently already finished and left Mina on her own, without so much as a word to his girlfriend at all before he left. The odd thing aside from this was the fact that no one else had left either, so it wasn't like she'd just remained there long after everyone else had left either.

Izuku had apparently made the deliberate choice to leave here there, for some unknown reason.

Barely having eaten, though not to too much particular care from the pink girl, she stood up and away from the table, hoping to get a clearer angle above the heads of the other students to reveal that he was just outside her field of view. This proved false though, leaving her clues.

When she lowered her head, however, to look down to the ground, by chance, she saw footprints in the dirt below her.

The dirt was freshly turned, probably thanks to Pixie-Bob's Earth Flow Quirk, and Izuku's shoes were particularly bulky, as far as shoes went, anyway. They left clear, distinctive markings on the ground as he walked that Mina would have missed had she not looked to her feet. His choice of footwear had often peaked the curiosity of the horned girl – Why someone willingly wore shoes that seemed to be twice the size of their foot was something she didn't think that she was going to understand, but at this point, she was thankful for his choice in shoe ware.

An easy to follow trail was observed with just her eyesight – Towards the buffet table once again, and then into a forest path, far away from everyone else. So he'd gotten some more food and then decided to go and eat in the Beats Forest again? Why the hell he wanted to do something like that, she didn't know.

Instead of questioning herself for answers that were never going to come, however, she decided that she'd go and get those answers herself, and followed her boyfriend's footprints into the densely packed collection of trees and vegetation.

* * *

Mina was fully aware that her boyfriend was full of quirks, of the none super-powered variety. He had all sorts of oddities and personality traits about him that made him stand out, even if his origins were totally none unique. The fact remained that he was one of the more quirky people that she'd ever met, despite possessing no natural Quirk of his own. Those were the fun things about him, that made him different to everyone else around her. It was one of the many things that she did genuinely love about him. Normal people, in her mind, were boring.

Granted, it was difficult to be considered normal in a society where virtually everyone had a unique superhuman ability, but when Mina said normal, she meant in terms of sociability. While she was a very open and talkative person, she was aware of a standard set of actions that people normally abided by that defined them as normal. People who hid their distinctive personality ticks. That didn't try to stand out.

Because in their minds, their Quirks were enough to make them stand out.

For better or worse, Izuku didn't seem to have that filter. He just did what he did, but while he was socially conscious, and that did lead him towards embarrassment, he kept on keeping on, doing what he did to help him improve himself. He muttered up a tornado, and when called out, yes, it made him go scarlet red, but he didn't force himself to keep quiet. Muttering like that helped him think, so he didn't try to hide that particular trait of his. It was just one of the many examples that made him special and unique.

But.

There was a limit to how much Mina was willing to take. Wondering off into the forest with some food, a fair distance from the actual lodge site, and then climbing up a steep hill with no real reason whatsoever behind doing so?

That was something that Mina was going to have to seriously question. This went beyond the realms of him just being a bizarre individual and into the realms of Mina seriously questioning if there was something wrong that they needed to address.

Once she reached the end of the steep climb though, Mina found herself on a cliff-side that overlooked the entire forest, and most of the area that the Pussycats owned. The viewing distance presented before her had to stretch to at least a few miles, a seemingly endless sea of trees and greenery. It was a nice view, but at the same time, just being here made her feel lonely.

Nature had that effect on her in the more recent months. She didn't particularly like or dislike nature, but it made her feel lonely. This was only something that had begun to occur within the last two months, and she'd noticed it happen quite actively. Especially in this situation, she felt like she was completely and utterly all alone.

Green reminded her of Izuku, after all. It was his colour.

"Did Mandalay tell you?!"

"No! I mean… I'm sorry, I just… We were talking and, from the conversation… It just seemed to add up!"

Izuku's voice, and that of the child that had gut punched him, Kota, if Mina remembered the name right. Brought back from the sight to her actual task at hand, Mina quickly followed the path further, until she found a part of the side where it slightly curved. Behind that curve, was her missing boyfriend, and a very angry child.

Had Izuku not spoken a second before, Mina would have immediately left the space behind the wall and gone up towards him.

"I… Remember hearing about Water Hose. It… Shouldn't have happened like that."

Water Hose. A two person Hero Team that both worked with Water based Quirks, both died in the line of duty not too long ago. Mina didn't remember exactly how long ago it was. Somewhere between two years and a year and a half ago. Still, for the young girl, practicing and studying already to get accepted into Yuuei to train to be a Hero, this was a story that she had followed. She had vivid memories about it.

Rare was it for Heroes to outright die while on duty. It was why story was so publically shared, due to the absolute infrequency that it happened. The two had died honourable, befitting deaths for Heroes. The world was less for their loss. Mina truly believed that, back then, and she still did now. If a Hero had to die in the line of duty, then doing so while staying true to their calling and in the defence of others, it had to be the best way to go.

It was the way she wanted to go out, if that was what it came to.

"Shut up." Not that Kota saw it that way. And who could blame him? Young, too young to understand the world around him… Robbed of his parents by the profession known as Heroes, and the mutation and manifestations known as Quirks. Shown a harsh reality that he didn't want to believe in when he was only just starting to understand certain things about the world. All he knew about his parent's death was that their job was what caused them to die, and they were killed by the superpowers that dominated the current society.

It was too easy to forget that Kota was still just a kid. The words he used, and the jaded cynicism that he harboured… He acted more like a teenager than a five year old.

"You're all freaking nuts. You all call yourselves Heroes and Villains like idiots, and kill each other while showing of your Quirks… You're all idiots."

At the same time… Mina couldn't imagine what Izuku would feel when told all of this.

Quirkless from birth, and lucky enough to meet All Might like he did, lucky enough to learn how All Might's Quirk worked, and lucky enough to inherit such a devastating power, so he could pursue his dream to be a Hero… He'd told Mina, time and time again that he felt blessed by such an opportunity, by such luck and help from the people around him. That he didn't deserve this sort of opportunity, nor did he even feel like he'd earned it at times, despite what those around him said.

To be flatly told all of this from someone who probably did have a Quirk hidden away somewhere… Who so openly opposed the concept of Quirks at all…

"What's your problem?!" Kota yelled, surprisingly loud for such a small kid. "If you're not gonna say anything else, then just go!"

Was there really anything to be gained from this?

Mina knew the way Izuku's mind worked, probably better than anyone else did. She knew the sort of person that he was, what he wanted to do for people, and why he wanted to. She knew all about his altruistic tendencies, and the pain he felt regarding the state of the world that treated him so poorly. The empathy that had given him…

He wanted to ease Kota's suffering and pain. Because he knew what it was like to live hating the way that the world was. To live, hating everyone around him because he was just born unlucky. To feel like the entire world was against him, that everyone else was an enemy in the waiting, ready to strike and take everything away that he'd managed to cling onto…

All he wanted to do was help… But in order to help someone… Didn't they have to want to be helped?

In this particular case, it didn't seem like anything that was said to this kid was going to change his mind. Faced with a brutal childhood…

She stepped out from behind the extrusion in the wall and walked towards the pair. She was spotted by Kota who switched his glare towards her. Not that she was difficult to spot anyway, she knew. Judging by the way Izuku's body seemed to straighten up, Mina could guess that his curiosity was to what Kota was looking at behind him. Before he got the chance to turn around and look for himself though, she spoke clearly when she was within earshot of the pair. "Izuku."

Now his body rotated to face her, and his eyes widened with surprise. As he did so, Mina noticed that his hands were full, a bowl filled up with curry in his palms. Why he was here made perfect sense now.

"Mina? What the – What're you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask the same question…. But I think I've got the gist of things."

The black haired child quickly turned his head away from the pink haired girl, causing confusion to both curly haired teenagers, until they remembered that Mina was the one Kota had seen naked back in the Hot Springs. Seeing her again seemed to cause him some embarrassment, and an inability to even look at her.

If he wasn't such a jaded kid, Mina would have honestly found his sudden shyness cute. "How did you even find my secret base?" He demanded, trying to sound threatening, but failing, since he couldn't even bring himself to look at the girl in front of him.

"Pretty much in the same way he did, I'm guessing." Mina pointed at Izuku, before moving her pupils to look towards him. "Followed your foot prints. Your boots leave pretty easy to follow tracks." Narrowing her eyes lightly, she posed a question to him. "Why'd you up and leave without telling me? I was worried about you."

"I-"

"Will both of you get lost?!" Kota yelled loudly at the paid of them, though he still couldn't find it in him to look at the teenage girl. "Neither of you are even allowed here, so don't come up here and start acting like you two own this place!"

Both the Hero course students looked at one another again, this time with more sombre looks in their eyes each. Mina knew that Izuku's intentions were noble – Of course she did. Izuku was the sort of person who really meant it when he said that he wanted to help someone. He felt that urge to help, even when he wasn't welcome to do so. That was what had inspired him to do what he did when he fought against Todoroki. She didn't doubt his intentions…

But she did doubt the person who received them.

Kota simply didn't want to talk to Heroes, or anyone who trained to become one. Hearing how noble his parent's deaths were from Heroes was going to fall on flat ears. What could they say to him to make him accept Heroes in their world? To ease his pain?

What could they say that he would accept from people like them?

Tugging on Izuku's hand lightly, Mina spoke to him softly. "Come on. Let's go, Izuku. If the kid isn't gonna listen…"

There was no point in making Izuku feel worse for his inability to help the kid. It wasn't like he hadn't tried… But sometimes, people's minds just couldn't be changed. That was why so many people turned out to be Villains, and why so many more turned out to be Heroes. Some people simple had one track minds that couldn't be swayed no matter what. Especially when it came to kids who had no other frame of reference. Trying to get her younger siblings to listen to her at times felt akin to trying to suck blood out of a stone.

She could still see the hesitation in his eyes though, as he looked down to the food in his hands, wanting, desperately searching for the right words to say to help. To think of something that he could say, to offer some advice, to…

Do anything, really. To do anything to help the kid in some way.

"…I… Have a friend who… Didn't inherit a Quirk from his parents."

Even that, apparently.

The statement caused Mina more surprise than it seemed to do to Kota. She knew he was talking about himself. Anyone who knew the truth about his Quirklessness would know that.

"Huh?" For the first time since Mina had arrived, Kota turned his head to look at Izuku, though his intense glare remained.

"It's a birth defect…" Izuku continued, gulping as he did so. "It's really rare, but it meant that he was born without any powers… But he admired Heroes, even though he didn't have any powers. He wanted to be one… But if you don't have a Quirk…. It's…. Just not something that you can do. And… For a long time…. He just couldn't accept the truth. So… He trained. He tried to pull things towards him telekinetically… Breathing fire…. But, obviously, it didn't work like that…"

"Izuku…"

Being Quirkless, and wanting to be a Hero… They were a recipe for self-destruction, Mina knew. Self-loathing, and trying, in vain, for hours, to activate a power that was never going to activate. There was a lot more to this though, more than Izuku even meant to say.

It was one of those things that Izuku just didn't do. He disliked talking about himself and his early childhood. When he was a kid. Not even to Mina had he spoken about it, aside from the bullying he received for years on years. Quirks manifested at the age of four, and never past that, so when that happened to Izuku… that would be when his world came crashing down. When he hit rock bottom, and realized that his dreams of becoming a Hero… Just couldn't happen.

He never spoke of that time in his life. Not even to Mina, for reasons that she understood. Having to go back into those memories, even thought they were a decade old and long in the past…

She couldn't imagine how much it would hurt.

"Everyone looks at Quirks in a different way…"

The horned girl wasn't Quirkless. She wouldn't ever know that feeling of dread and heart breaking gut wretch that came with having her dreams crushed when she was four years old. She never would.

"Nothing about Quirks is absolute… But…"

She wouldn't know the pain of trying, with tears in her eyes, to make something, anything, happen. To use some sort of Quirk that just wasn't going to happen. She didn't know what that was like, and she'd never even thought about that before. There had to be people who were like Izuku, who had done this throughout their lives. Trying to do something that they were unlucky enough to lack.

Izuku didn't bring these memories up for good reason. Because….

"… If you keep trying to reject everything… At the end, the only person that you're going to hurt is yourself."

He understood Kota. Maybe not the exact way he felt… But he understood why Kota was hurting. They had opposite perspectives on the world, but they felt the same sorts of anguish. The kid was like him in reverse. Izuku's pain in life had come from never having a Quirk, and Heroes bring so far from his reach. Kota's pain had come from being too close to Heroes, and Quirks were what took his family away from him. One of them had starved to have one, dreamed of the day his Quirk activated so he could follow what he wanted to do, and the other hating them, and wanting them all to just disappear.

Mina would never understand the pain of being Quirkless…

But she understood Izuku.

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you?!" When it came to Kota's understanding though, he evidentially felt very different. "Just go! Leave me alone!"

"…I've been rambling. Sorry." With a lowered head, Izuku relented. He knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with words, because he couldn't find the right ones, and all he seemed to do was just make the kid more and more angry. He couldn't think of anything else to do or say…

Other than to just leave him alone.

"I'll leave the curry here…" He said, kneeling down and leaving the food, now lukewarm, on the floor by his feet. Letting out a small sigh of what felt like defeat, he didn't look back at the child again. He had failed to offer any valuable advice, or the words that he needed to hear when he was at the lowest point of his life.

It wasn't any of his business, but he felt like he'd failed this kid, even though he didn't know him at all.

"…Come on, Izuku." Mina said, offering her hand for him to hold. "Let's go back."

Accepting her hand, Izuku was pulled up by his girlfriend, and the two of them left the young boy on his own, with nothing else to say. As they walked, Mina looked over towards Izuku, his eyes dulled and clearly still in thought. In distress. Disappointment and regret that he couldn't do anything.

He didn't say anything. Just thought.

The only thing that his girlfriend could think to do to support him was squeeze his hand tighter. "You did your best."

* * *

 **I know a lot of you were looking forward to the girl's night chapter, but here's the thing… First, it was on the first day of the training camp, so that's out, and I can't come up with anything to fit it into the narrative. I had a flashback thing written out, but it just felt like filler and a waste of time, so I axed it. Hope you guys can forgive that, sorry :/ I'll probably throw in a reference or two to it later on.**

 **It's tricky to get this sort of thing correct when I'm staying so close to the manga, and with what I'm having go down in this particular moment. I enjoy it, but it's a very difficult thing to pull off, I find. I hope that you found it enjoyable though.**

 **Also, this was just sent to me about an hour before I updated – Awkward Energy has a freakin' TV Tropes Page! Which to me is just, completely unreal. I've wanted to get something of mine on TV Tropes for a while now, and it happened with this story! I don't know if the person who sent me the message made it, or if one of you guys made it – but to whoever did, I wanna say a huge public thank you very much! Hope to be able to create an even better story for you ^_^**

 **The next chapter is gonna be one that I've been thinking over for a while, and the next few is gonna be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the next couple of months ^_^**

 **I'll see you next time, as always – See ya!**


	39. What To Do?

**There's a huge note dump at the end of this chapter - Just a heads up.**

* * *

In spite of walking hand in hand, Izuku and Mina were still in a relative silence. Mina's hand was tightly gripped onto her boyfriends, even if it were without exchange of words. After having heard all about what Izuku had said, Mina felt that she understood his passion towards Quirks and Heroes a bit more. It was undeniable that he had that passion anyway, and that being Quirkless, mixed with the adoration that someone like Izuku had...

The pain that he would feel was something that she just hadn't even considered before in her life. She was used to having a Quirk - Everyone she knew had a Quirk. Even Izuku had a Quirk, though it wasn't one he was born with. She honestly hadn't ever met someone who was Quirkless, unless the faction of the police that didn't use them counted. Even then, the vast majority of them had Quirks. They just didn't use them like Heroes did. She had no other frame of reference. No way to see how the Quirkless felt about their situation.

The ability to attract objects - That belonged to his mother. The fire breathing that he talked about must belong to his father, whoever and or wherever he was supposed to be. Neither of them were particularly potent, but combined, they might make something impressive. And in either case, for Izuku? It was something. It was a Quirk. Something that he could work with. And he'd been deprived of that for his whole life, bar the last few months.

The way he talked about trying to use on of his parents Quirks as a small child... It was something that got to her. Maybe it was the fact that when she was younger, she'd see her siblings playing, pretending to use her and her brothers Quirks before they developed their own. The image of seeing Izuku with tears in his eyes as he desperately tried to activate a power he simply didn't have...

He'd been robbed of what was, to everyone around him, a birth-right.

Her hand gripped even tighter around his. Every time she thought that she'd figured him out, he kept on surprising her, again and again.

It made his actions in the Sports Festival make even more sense. It made his empathy make even more sense. It made why he was trying to reach out to Kota make even more sense. It may be because of his own stance in the world, that Quirks were something that were special and needed to be treasured, that people should be immensely grateful for their Quirks, that they shouldn't reject the things he longed to have - Even now, Mina noticed that he never referred to One For All as 'His' Quirk. Only in front of others to help hide its origins. To him, it still wasn't his own Quirk. Not yet.

So it was clear why seeing someone reject Quirks hurt him. What was less clear though...

"... When you left..." She said, suddenly, catching Izuku's instant attention. His head turned to face her immediately, waiting, simultaneously curious and nervous as to what he was about to hear. Mina paused for a second, trying to find the right words for it. "...Why didn't you say anything?"

The holder of One For All blinked twice, before he looked at the trail before him, watching his feet move, taking him and his girlfriend closer and closer back to the campsite where everyone else was. He thought for a while on how to phrase his own answer. His reasoning was a lot simpler than Mina honestly expected. "I... I thought you were still angry with me..."

Such a simple answer. So uncomplicated. It was such an Izuku - like answer made the pink girl smile gently. She tucked her middle finger behind her thumb on her left hand, and leaned over, flicking a few strands of green hair from his face. "I'm not angry to the point of not wanting to talk to you, you green headed dope." She joked lightly, looking him in the eye once she'd finished her joke.

A massive weight looked like it had been lifted from Izuku's mind, as his hesitant frown of neutrality lit up into a soft smile of pleasant surprise and relief. Apparently the whole 'No Talking' had him worried and anxious, no matter how much he might actually agree with it. "I-I thought that you didn't want to..."

"I mean, I'm still really ticked off." She admitted, though her lips didn't change their position from an upturned curl. "Not... Necessarily with you though." It was no lie, either. Granted, Izuku might have irritated her, and absolutely baffled her beyond comprehension, but he wasn't the cause of her anger, but rather, he was the catalyst of it. What had brought about her annoyance along a lot quicker, not that it was his intention, or fault in any way.

That all belonged to Bakugou.

Izuku's face fell slightly, and looked back down to the ground again. It wasn't hard to infer where Mina's fury rested, if not with him.

All admiration for Bakugou aside, if he considered things from the perspective of someone who didn't understand his perspective and how much he looked up the blonde explosive teen, he could easily see why. He knew that Bakugou was a bully. He wasn't stupid, nor was he blind or delusional. The ruthless way he assaulted the green haired boy on a regular basis, the absolute disregard of him as a person altogether, not to mention the literal years of physical abuse. He wasn't unaware of these facts. He didn't turn a blind eye to it.

It wasn't worth fighting over. Not for him. He wasn't worth starting a completely avoidable fight over. Years of abuse my people who had Quirks had conditioned him to think that way, no matter who agreed or disagreed with him. He was used to it. He accepted it. He was aware it was wrong, but he didn't want anyone else to fix his problems for him, even if that was the mark of a Hero. That wasn't to say he just ignored it happening though. He didn't forget.

He just didn't want to keep fighting for no reason.

But for Mina? Or anyone who looked at the two of them? It would look like a pretty clear cut scenario. He understood why Mina did what she did. At least, he felt he had a pretty good idea. What she actually felt, he couldn't be sure. Even though they dated for a while now, they didn't understand one another that intimately.

Especially not now. This being their first actual conflict, there wasn't really a way to be sure about anything right now.

Ultimately though, it came down to the simple fact that, outside of his own resignation to it, he didn't want Mina in the line of fire - Particularly not Bakugou's. That was it. That's what everything came down to at the end of it all. Heroes faced danger in the line of duty every second of every day. Keeping her out of the way of harm was to ask her to not be a Hero, something Izuku couldn't do to anyone, and wouldn't do even if he had the capacity. But he could keep her out of this particular crossfire. He wanted her safe from his childhood friend's wrath.

Heroes shouldn't go looking for fights that didn't need to happen. If any of the staff learned about it…. What would that mean for Mina?

This, he felt, was something he should tell her. Maybe then, even if she didn't like it, she could at least understand things from his perspective...

After a couple minutes of them back-tracking their way to the lodgings site, they eventually returned to their destination. It was mostly the same as it was before their twenty minute departure, though multiple groups had formed around areas of the tables, even when all the food had been devoured. A couple of people noticed the return of the pair of them, sending over a few waves in greeting. The Zero Gravity and Frog Form Quirk users in particular seemed relieved. Thankful that the two for them were at least on social terms again, supposedly.

There was still an air of uncertainty between the two of them, since nothing had been particularly resolved. They had just managed to reconcile slightly, but nothing, at least in the long term, had actually changed. Both looked towards one another, and then looked to the floor before them.

"...We... Should talk." Mina suggested, gently tugging on Izuku's hand as she did so, to get his attention fully. A nervousness that she hadn't expected hit her as she spoke. Her familiarity with the need for emotional and honest conversation was the result of her parents doing the same thing many times. Though, that didn't necessarily make her feel better. The situation didn't help her much, as she still feared the general outcome, and the possibility of another, this time far more heated argument... But to not do so would almost certainly condemn them to another fight down the line. If they solved this sooner as opposed to later, then they would be able to avoid a long series of trouble. "I know I already said that we needed to talk when I calmed down... But I think we need to do it soon. As soon as we can."

Instead of what he traditionally would do in this situation or anything even vaguely resembling it - Deny that there was a problem of any kind and insist that everything was okay - He nodded. Not everything was okay. Far from it. There were issues that they needed to discuss. He needed to explain his side of things to her. For the two of them to get past how things stood right now, this talk needed to happen, regardless of if he liked that fact or not. "...Yeah." His grip tightened around her hand in response, trying to offer some comfort as he vocalised his agreement.

"Remedials!" Cutting crisp through the chatter and noise of all the students, and immediately grabbing the attention of everyone within the clearing, Class 1B's Blood King called out those who had extra sessions. "You're with me and Aizawa, right now!"

The ever threatened additional classes were about to start. On the day of their arrival, the pupils were given a day to settle in, to get into the swing of things, to get started on their training the next day with absolute gusto. All things considered, from a school like Yuuei, they had been lenient in allowing them this amount of freedom. Now it was time to attend the extra academia they needed. A series of groans could be heard from those who had said additional classes due to low scores. Kirishima, Sero and Kaminari in particular let out exasperated moans of anguish before rising from their sears and plodding their way towards the Blood Manipulation homeroom teacher.

Mina's groan joined them, loudly, and long winded. Her face fell, and her head literally dropped as she let out her noise of depression. "You've gotta be kidding..." Of course, as a remedial student herself, the Acid Quirk user herself had to remove herself from the current conversation, regardless of her will or desire to. And she had absolutely no desire to do so.

Not when the two had actually agreed to talk. Had Mina gotten her way, they would have solved this matter, right then and there. Fate, as it turned out, had other plans, and if Aizawa's warnings were anything to go by, these lessons weren't only going to be brutal - They were going to be extraordinarily long, until every single syllable that either of the tutors there spoke was drilled into their heads and could be repeated from memory.

Izuku looked towards the horned and frustrated girl with pity for her situation. Excluding the talk that they agreed they needed to have, preferably as soon as possible, he felt bad that she needed to take the additional classes in the first place. While it was a fair price to actually be allowed on the school trip in the first place, that didn't exactly make it an easy one to pay. While the green haired boy knew that he couldn't really have done anything more to help her - After all, he had helped her study for the written exams, the physical was down to her and her alone, which was what she had failed - He still felt guilty for it. And felt terrible that he couldn't have done more to help. Almost like her failure was his fault. Had he been more knowledgeable when it came to long range in Emission Type Quirks, he could have tutored her there. Of course he was aware how ridiculous an idea, and how skewed a logic it was. The tests had been based on the things each student lacked. In Izuku's case, this was teamwork with Bakugou. In Mina's case, this was strategy.

That wasn't something that he could just teach. The key to be able to formulate a competent strategy while under pressure and on the fly was knowing and understanding all the elements of Heroism fundamentally, and knowing how to assess a Quirk and situation just at a glance. To learn that required a long time, and a lot of patient explaining and tutoring. Every person learned at a different rate to every other person. Mina was one of those who had a slower rate. It didn't mean she was stupid or unintelligent in any way. She just needed a bit more time, and a certain approach towards learning to totally get it. She was really just unfortunate that her test had been based on strategy.

But he still felt that he could have helped her. Wished he could, if only he'd known ahead of time. But unfortunately, One For All wasn't a Quirk that allowed him to see the future, and as such, he just couldn't have helped her in any way.

Additionally, neither of them had any idea how long these extra lessons actually were supposed to be. They could be an hour of absolute hell on Earth, or four hours of slow, drawn out torture. Simply put, Izuku could be fast asleep by the time Mina was finished, for all they knew.

It couldn't have come at a physically worse time.

"You had better go, before Aizawa gets annoyed with you…" Izuku said, though he could tell just how upset Mina was for having to do so, even disregarding the current state of their relationship. Academics were just not her thing.

"Urgh…" The pink girl groaned again, though she nodded her head, and plodded her way towards the remedial group.

* * *

With her head in her left hand, Mina struggled to even pay attention to the things on the board in front of her. Everything just blurred into one big greyish blur. She couldn't focus on anything like this right now, she lacked the motivation to even try to care about anything to do with the fundamentals of Quirks or how each type should combat each other type. She'd already been in the room an hour, and not a single note had made its way onto the pages in front of her.

In her head, she knew that really, she should be listening to what Aizawa had to say, but her heart just wasn't into it. Too much had happened over the last few hours to even make her remotely want to listen to more lectures that she had already zoned out of in the past. She knew she was behind… But she could be behind by a full year and she doubted that she'd be too bothered right now.

There were more important things to worry about.

She took a small glance over to Kirishima's pages. He had been making notes like it was going to make his heart start beating again. He must have already finished up at least four pages, and was just finishing up his fifth. That made a lot of sense though. Even back in middle school, Kirishima had been pretty serious about becoming a Hero, a transformation that she'd witnessed first-hand.

To be frank, it was still sort of weird to see him like this in Yuuei. They only had a limited interaction before the school year started, and even then, they weren't exactly friends. They weren't close. They were just two people who were aiming for the same high school. She knew him when his hair was straight, shoulder length, and dark black in colour. Before they ended up as 'Horn Buddies'. Hell, the guys Quirk wasn't even that impressive when they first met. His spirit, sure, but his actual physical abilities? Not so much.

Not like she had a right to critique it now – The fact he was even in Yuuei at all was a testimony to that. She had trained with the guy as he developed his simple power into something quite impressive.

And she was dating a guy who was inherently Quirkless. She didn't exactly get much right to judge someone based on their Quirks.

Still, she had no doubt as to his determination to be a Hero, and to the nature of his character. He was a good person, someone who, even though they barely spoke these days, she considered to be a friend. Someone she trusted, and someone she knew was genuinely Heroic, and wanted to be a Pro, not for glory or valour, but because his heart was seriously in the right place.

Which just made his friendship with Bakugou that more… Vindictive. Counter-Productive? She couldn't think of the right word, but it seemed like a backwards sort of notion.

Mina had absolutely nothing against her Horn Buddy, but the company he kept just was totally juxtaposed to the sort of person he himself was. Granted, the two of them had fought together at the USJ, which might explain why the red dyed teenager was willing to tolerate the short tempered boy. Perhaps he'd seen a side that Bakugou didn't display anywhere else, or maybe it was a Brothers in Arms type deal. Whatever the reason, it just felt weird to her. Almost wrong.

She shouldn't judge, and she knew that she shouldn't. It wasn't like her in any way at all, and she felt bad about doing it, even when she caught herself doing it without even thinking about it. She didn't feel like she had the right to judge anyone. She was a social person, and did engage in gossip from time to time, but she never allowed herself to stoop to badmouthing people behind their backs, and nor did she ever make a judgement on someone before she knew what they were like.

But she just couldn't stop herself from doing so, not when it came to her boyfriend's bully. One could argue that she did know what he was like, and that it was justified to think this way, but Mina disagreed. She didn't like having these sorts of thoughts herself, and generally tried to avoid having them.

There was one major question that she had that she desperately wanted to know the answer to, though.

If Izuku wanted to, he could tell everyone in Class 1A about Bakugou's true nature. He had every right to, and some would even argue an obligation if he wanted to become a Hero. To stop bad people from getting into positions of power was just one of the many duties that the Heroes had to abide by. Another Endeavour could only lead to bad things happening for the greater society of Humanity. And there wasn't any doubt that if Bakugou went Pro, he'd wind up as another self-serving, aggressive and angry type like Endeavour. The guy was one of the few Heroes Izuku seemed to have disdain for, for there couldn't be any doubt he was an off sort of Hero.

Izuku had the power to end Bakugou's dreams of Heroism before they even started. One explanation that he was an opportunistic bully that tormented Quirkless people, and those he thought he could get away with, one explanation of the nature of his superiority complex, and his brutally violent tendencies, and he'd be gone. Thrown out of the country's most prestigious school. People would turn on him, call out his crap and demand he explain himself.

Even Kirishima, a person who hated bullies, would give Bakugou the cold shoulder. There wasn't any doubt that it would put a huge strain on their friendship – If one could even call it that – And even possibly bring it to the snapping point.

He didn't though. Mina wanted to know why. Why did he put himself through this sort of hell all the time? Why did he make things so difficult for himself? Why did he show Bakugou such leniency? Aside from submission, it was more than likely empathy. Izuku's own dreams had almost been crushed, and he was too nice a person to do the same to Bakugou's.

That was the best guess she had…

She had always wanted to be a Hero. She'd grown up wanting to use her Quirk to help people, despite the danger that her powers inherently held. She wanted to be the sort of person who stayed true to themselves, and went with their honest thoughts. She truly did believe in all of these tenant, like she knew Izuku did. So to see him roll over to someone who seemed more like a villain…

It just felt wrong. It actually hurt her to see it happen to him…

Should she be the one to expose Bakugou's crap, if Izuku wasn't going to?

Was that something a true Hero would do?

"Ashido."

Mina's eyes shot wide open, and her body jumped, making her sit up straight and snap her eyes towards the front. She swore to herself inside her head when she saw Aizawa stood over her, his own Quirk activated as a sort of intimidation tactic. How long he'd been stood there for was a matter of debate, but since, from the corner of her eye, Mina could see Kirishima and Monoma – The latter of whom seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the display – Looking at her along with their main tutor of the day.

"S-Sensei?" She asked, knowing full well that she was in trouble.

* * *

Her punishment for not paying attention?

An extra hour for her own lessons, to catch up on everything that she missed. Mina felt more dead than alive afterwards, and her eyelids felt like they had dumbbells attached to them. She seriously had to fight to keep her eyes open at all. Everyone else seemed to have already gone to sleep long ago, so she was the only student awake in the whole building, most likely. While she would have loved nothing more than to immediately crash into the girl's room and fall onto her futon without a single care, she had another thing she needed to do before she went.

She needed to remove the bandages that she had around her forearms. The ones that had been applied after her training session against the rocks that had cut her up.

It only took her a couple of minutes to find the nearest female bathroom, which she entered promptly. She flicked the switch on the wall to turn the lights on, and then made her way towards the mirror. She had instructions to wash her forearms as soon as the appendages came off, to make sure that nothing lingered on her arms that could cause infection of any sort.

Looking at herself, she remembered back to the first time she actually spoke to Izuku that wasn't in introduction. The day of the Sports Festival, and he had his shattered limbs in casts. The irony of the current situation wasn't lost on her. She looked like he did that day, only her injuries were far, far less serious. And she hadn't broken her bones in her self-inflicted pain. And her scars weren't going to be nearly as bad.

For a second, she hesitated, before she committed to unravelling the white medical supplies. Her moment of hesitation came from her sudden worry regarding the scars she now would have on her hands. In the heat of her wrath, she hadn't given a single crap, just wanting to unleash havoc to vent her annoyance out of her system. Now she was a bit worried as to what she now had to live with.

Once undone, the cloth just unwrapped itself.

Revealing a small series of small scars up her wrists, while some more obvious ones resided around her knuckles and palms. They were a slightly lighter shade of pink than the rest of her skin colour, making them difficult to spot unless they were actually being looked for. A particularly nasty one however was on her right hand, and was a single jagged line from underneath her thumb, that travelled to the centre of her palm, where it thinned out and died. She looked like a much more tame version of Izuku actually, In terms of scars, anyway.

Their circumstances weren't even that different, when she stopped to properly think about it. They had gained their scars through training and battering themselves to the point of self-harm. The primary difference was that Izuku had been doing it a lot longer, and his skin had grown more durable from it. Mina had only done this the once, though even Aizawa, in spite of his anger at her for not paying any attention, did concede that if she continued to train like that, her Quirks power would improve dramatically.

Mina did want to become stronger, to be able to become a Hero, and she knew that Izuku wanted that too, more than anyone else here, for certain. He had the motivation and the need to learn how to better use his power. This trip was all about training to become stronger and stronger. Anything else could be seen as a distraction to those goals.

So, if they were going to talk… It should be later. When they get back home, after all the training has gone down, and they've returned stronger than before. When there are no distractions to be had, and they are all alone, and can relax, not needing to worry about interruption.

Maybe for now… They should just act like it hadn't ever happened. That was what Mina thought to herself. If they just acted like things hadn't happened until they got back home… Then they could talk as much as the needed to. Away from possible prying ears, where they could have an honest and open heart to heart.

In that moment, an idea made its way into the pink girl's head, one that made her grin to herself as she left the bathroom, dumping the bandages in the trash as she left.

* * *

 **Sorry about the chapter being up so late this week, guys, and that it's kind of just filler. It's been a busy one. I'd also like to warn you, next weeks might also be up late, since I'm moving into my University accommodation, and I can't promise internet, so I'll do my best in that department.**

 **So, if you didn't read the announcement chapter, I'm going to go over everything here again for you. There's a LOT here, so yeah, prepare yourselves.**

 **The first thing is, after this chapter and First Generation goes up, I'll be changing my username to QuirkQuartz – Because it fits me and my content better, and I like the name more. This is just to let you know that I'm still me.**

 **Secondly, the announcement chapter has been deleted because I don't like those things being in stories. They kind of irk me. So I apologize if your review was deleted – Sorry about that ^_^' My bad.**

 **The third thing is, I also now have a Pat Reon account under my QuirkQuartz name. There's a link in my profile description with more detailed instructions, but to make it as brief as possible (Because I've written it out like, ten times now and I'm getting exhausted), I'm not doing rewards because I don't want you guys to have your wallets pried open. I want you to donate because you** _ **want**_ **to donate to me, and you're welcome to donate as much, or as little, as you like. You don't have to donate at all, but if you do, I'll be able to justify spending the time I spend making stories for you guys while I'm at university.**

 **Now, I got a review telling me what I was doing was Illegal due to Copyright, and immoral because of, well… They just said it was immoral. My best guess was that it was Immoral because I started it partway through the story, as if I were going to hold the rest of it to ransom. I didn't honestly understand the full suggestion or implication, but I understand the feel behind the message, and I respect that person's opinion – But I disagree with the latter, and the former is simply untrue. I'd like to express due diligence and explain why, to those of you who are concerned about legal issues and copyright, why a Pat Reon is perfectly legal - Not a rant that says**

 **This is a LONG ass rant, I warn you now. For those of you who are concerned about this sort of thing, I went into as much detail as I could.**

 **The idea that earning money for writing fanfiction infringes on Copyright would be correct – If I made any money through fanfiction by default. Copyright is designed to make sure that no one profits off of the work of the creator – For example, I can't take My Hero Academia, and re-uploaded it on ad filled site under the name "His Hero Academia" and make money from it. That would infringe copyright. However, since I adapt the source material and use my own creativity, making it both Kohei Horokoshi's work and mine at the same time, this comes under Fair Use. These are the reason why YouTubers are safe to make Let's Play videos and earn money.**

 **The sites I publish to however, do not earn me any money. At all. However, legal issues have arisen from creating fanfiction in the past, despite the fact that no one ever made money off of them. People were sued because of shipping for God's sake, when they made no money off of it – This is what led to the creation of the Website Archive of our Own. (One of the three sites I upload to)**

 **In 2007, a site called FanLib opened, allowing creators to make money from Fanfiction. I don't believe it does this anymore, but criticism was what led to Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) to be created. This in turn made Archive of our own. When the aforementioned authors tried to sue people for fanfiction, A03 was there to protect against that. Nowadays, it's taken as green that fanfiction will be a welcome thing. This wasn't always the case – But what we do here infringes on copyright ANYWAY.**

 **Basically, any fanfic author was, and if Net Neutrality isn't maintained, WILL be committing illegal acts. Fanart will be illegal, as will fanfiction. This is what Fair Use is designed for. To protect those rights, as is Net Neutrality – Net Neutrality is designed so no one can police the web. No companies or businesses, or governments. Japan, being censor heavy as they are, would destroy anything it didn't like. Fanfiction and fan art would be included. This isn't a matter for debate. So the idea that because using Pat Reon, NOW I'm infringing on Copyright, is false.**

 **In the eyes of the legal system, and those who would have their own way, I've been doing it for years. Current Copyright laws are, frankly – Absolute fucking dogshit. You can apparently infringe on Copyright without making money from what you do, which by its own definition isn't how it works, that's how bad it is! This isn't something that should be blindly obeyed.**

 **I recommend watching Jim Sterling's Jimquiistion series. His videos offer a look into copyright, fair use and DMCA takedowns. While he focuses on Video Games, the laws still apply throughout the creative industry. He explains it all far better than I can. He also uses Pat Reon for his add-free content. Since Ads are how he normally makes his money, this makes him comparable to me in this particular regard.**

 **Pat Reon is a third party site – This means that I make no money directly from making these stories. You give me money if you WANT to. A tip, so to speak. It's no different to a commission from an artist for BakuShima, or a story commission for Izumina, or even paying an artist at a convention for artworks of your favourite show – If anything, it's more illegal, since they earn money directly by selling them en-mass to the public. I earn nothing from official sources. I'm not taking money away from My Hero Academia, Kohei Horikoshi, Shonen Jump, or Japan at all.**

 **The idea that it's immoral is one I also, personally, disagree with – It takes a lot of time and effort to create these stories that you simply won't understand unless you make one, and put the time and effort in. This isn't to brag, but I do honestly feel myself to be one of the most passionate authors on this website. I spend maybe 50 hours a week writing – I swear that isn't an exaggeration. I'm a night owl, and will sometimes work until 5AM to get a story ready for the go-ahead. I spend all my travelling time (Busses, cars, planes, etc) On an iPad, writing chapters and hashing out ideas (To be fair, mostly out of boredom). The majority of my free time is spent making sure my stories are good enough. The idea that it should be free just because it always has been that way is, to me, archaic. I feel the same way about, for example, mods for games. I do not judge, or blame anyone who demands some financial support for their work.**

 **Let's assume I got paid by law. In the UK where I live, for minimum wage, I would earn £5.55 an hour – That translates to £277.50 a week, and then to £910 a month!**

 **I will NEVER get that much from Pat Reon, I am FULLY aware of this. And that's fine. I give it away for free, and don't demand anything in return. I don't mind doing it for free – It's fun, I love it, it kills time, and it helps develop my skills as a writer, and proves to any companies I show it to that I know what I'm talking about. It's a long term investment. I'm very serious about becoming a Manga author someday, and this will only help my already difficult case. I gain plenty by giving it away for free in a mutually beneficial relationship with you guys. That's why I appreciate every single one of you – But I can completely and utterly understand why someone, if they put in the work I did, would demand financial compensation. I can't blame them for a SECOND. Passion is great, it's amazing, and I feel alive when I use mine - But it doesn't put food on my plate. Not unless I earn something in some way. Of course, I understand this matter is a matter left to subjective opinion - That was simply mine on the subject.**

 **Pat Reon on the other hand, allows you to pay what you feel should be given – If that number is $1, or $100, you can do that. If you feel that number is £0, that's fine too. That's why I like the site. I don't put a price on my work – You guys do. And you can opt out any time. Its third-party status means that I don't take away from the creators of My Hero Academia. There isn't any law against what I'm doing, just in the same way that there isn't one against Let's Players, artists, reviewers and media journalists.**

 **This took me quite a while to learn and research, but I think I got the information correct. If anyone has information that they feel I missed out (Preferably someone who actually is qualified in law, studies it, or at least understands it without any doubt?) I would seriously appreciate it, and will update the notes in the next chapter based on them. Of course, I understand some still will find the use of Pat Reon unethical, and I respect your opinions. I only request that you don't spread misinformation.**

 **Thank you for reading, and I hope I explained everything concisely for you. Sorry for taking up so much space. I'll see you next time.**


	40. For Now

Training to enhance and extend a Quirk was far more intense than training to improve or build up a muscle. Physical training was a lot more standard that Quirk extension. If one wanted to improve their arms, they would work with their arms, lift weights, do push ups, do any of the normal things. If one wished to train their legs, they could go out jogging, perform squats, or practice kicking. These were fairly universal rules as well. No matter what ones Quirk was, physical activity was an all-round guaranteed way to develop some muscular abilities. In a world without Quirks, this would be how everyone became stronger, all equal in the sense that everyone had the same stuff to work with.

This wasn't a world without Quirks, though. Quirks, since they were heavily varied in terms of their functionality, and individually different from person to person, required more specific methods of practice and extension. More creative and more imaginative ways to improve one's self, with regimes so unique that they rivalled Quirks in their individuality themselves. All designed to push the body to the limits, to enhance and empower, to knock them down, to make them get up twice as strong.

Bakugou, for example, would submerge his hands in hot water, hoping to increase his sweat glands to allow for more rapid, larger explosions. Kirishima would allow himself to be hit and hammered to increase the durability of his Hardening. Tokoyami would fight his Dark Shadow within blackened caverns, Kaminari would push his outage limits to the extreme, and so on and so forth. Each student had a specialised training regime that tested their ability to push on, no matter the pain. All in the name of becoming even stronger Heroes.

The universal consensus was that it was like hell on earth. Even though hours had passed since the training ended, their muscles and Quirks still ached and stung. Many of them weren't even aware that Quirks had the capacity to sting this badly, yet they found themselves surprised. Once laid on a futon that would allow them to rest, many knocked right out, with only a few remaining awake for maybe ten minutes, chatting idly, before rolling over and blacking out.

Even Izuku found the training exhausting, painful, and tiring. And he was a boy whom had spent an entire year training with All Might to be able to inherit the power that he had spent all of today trying to extend and refine. Was it even possible to extend a Quirk that didn't originally belong to its current user, Izuku questioned. It was a question that, as the day went on, became less and less important than just trying to survive it.

He knew what pain felt like, what it meant to train from dawn till dusk, putting everything that he had in him into his training. To even just have this power, he'd done it for practically a whole year of his life. And this had still made him reach those levels of agony. Furthermore, all he'd had was straight up combat training with Tiger, a man who really struggled when it came to holding back. He'd practically been a punching bag for the Pro-Hero, taking hit after hit. Just a further testament to how brutal the training was that the Pussycats had put together.

Unsurprisingly then, he was one of the students who, when his head hit the pillow, was practically immediately asleep. For a few seconds, he stared up at the ceiling, as the people around him started to retire to their own futons, some talking lightly. Noise and visuals blanked out though. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep slumber.

Not without sparing a thought for Mina though, and wondering how she was doing with the extra lessons. He wished that he would be able to know when she would finish those lessons. If he did, he would have quite happily stayed awake for her, or at least tried to, to wait until she had finished, to talk to her, to ask her how the lessons had been, and how everything had gone. If she had done well and learned more like she had needed to, and if she needed some help during their breaks in the training. The next day, however, seemed to stretch out in front of him, leaving him with nothing but more pain to look forward to. He was out cold before he'd even realized it.

All he would be able to do was to offer his services the next morning.

For five hours, he slept, tossing and turning a couple of times in his rest, from side to side. The futons were surprisingly comfortable, padded, and warm, not leaving much trouble when it came to getting cosy. Tossing in his sleep was just a habit that he didn't have a wall against his bed, not a sign of restlessness. Frankly, it was the deepest sleep that he'd had since his run in with Shigaraki, just a week ago.

At one point in his sleep, he turned onto his back, both of his arms outstretched in either direction. Another few seconds later, he felt a heavy warmth suddenly press against his left arm, and onto his chest. Tired as he might have been, his natural instincts kicked in almost immediately, knowing without optical confirmation that something was amiss. His head rose up slightly as his eyes twitched, and then opened slowly to inspect the source of the disturbance.

It took less than five seconds, even in the dim light from the moon creeping in through the window, for him to figure out what the cause of his waking was.

On his chest, was Mina's head, and much of her body, that slanted slightly off onto his left arm. He didn't even need to see her face to know that it was his girlfriend – Pink was basically her colour. If you saw it on a person, in either 1A or 1B, then it was going to be Mina, without question. She had only just lowered herself onto his body, as seen by her still moving around, trying to make herself comfortable, while moving gently so that she didn't wake up her sleeping boyfriend.

The second part of which she had failed miserably.

"Mina?..." Izuku whispered in a half-awake state, looking at the horns pointed towards him, and the pink messy hair from which they grew out from. For a couple of seconds, he thought that something had gone bump in the night, and he was just hallucinating from a lack of sleep. When he realized that it was in fact Mina – Having snuck her way into the boys shared bedroom in the middle of the night – And not a fatigue induced dream, his eyes suddenly shot wide open. "M-Mina?!"

Her head shifted again once she heard his hushed whisper of a voice, moving to look up at his face. Her blackened sclera were difficult to see in the dark, only visible because her brighter skin tone served to create a very clear contrast between the two colours that allowed him to, just barely, see her eyes. They were actually, on closer inspection, slit and mostly closed, no doubt due to absolute exhaustion.

For a second, they looked at one another, and then, the young girl grimaced when she realized that Izuku was awake. There was a sign of a small smile on her lips, but it was very faint. "Damn. Was kind of hoping that you'd just stay asleep." She then rested her head just on top of his left shoulder, making herself comfortable, using him like he were a pillow.

"W-What the heck're you doing?!" He asked, trying to keep his voice as low as possible so no one woke up to see this awkward, incriminating and difficult to explain situation. Hell, he barely understood what was happening – Well, he did, but he had no clue why it was happening, what was going through Mina's head, and why on earth she thought that this was an acceptable act. "You're – You're not supposed to be in here!"

"I hadn't guessed." Mina yawned with a sarcastic response, wrapping her arms around Izuku's chest as she did so. "Can we talk in the morning? I'm sleepy."

"Sh-Shouldn't you be in the girl's room?"

"I mean, yeah…. But, you're not there."

"M-Mina – "

"I don't wanna fight you." The pink skinned girl said. The way she said it indicated that she meant for it to be snappy, though she failed to stifle another yawn towards the end of the sentence. Before she continued to speak, Izuku felt her fingers grip onto his body more. It seemed like every single movement that her body made was designed to bring the two of them closer together, physically speaking.

"Wh-What do you mean, fight?"

"I mean... We've pretty much been arguing all day. If you could call me being passive aggressive an argument. And…. It's not exactly been fun. I know there's stuff that the two of us need to resolve. I think it really is a dumb idea to just ignore that entirely… But we're here to train to become better Heroes. And I dunno 'bout you…" She yawned, yet again. The more she spoke, the clearer it was that she was fighting to even remain awake. A couple of seconds passed before she kept going. "…But I think it'd be best if we spoke in private… And I don't feel like arguing with you all week… So, can we just drop it for now? Until we get back home at least?"

Her words, softly spoken close to his ear, made Izuku pause for a moment, while his brain started to quickly process what she had said. Had she been thinking about this throughout her whole remedial session? What she was going to do about their current situation? What she was going to say? What she was going to do? Was this something that she'd recently decided that she wanted to do?

This was Mina he was dealing with. Frankly, he didn't know if he dared but any of these potential ideas past her. Understanding her was still something that was difficult, even for her own boyfriend.

Still, the pitch that she made…. It was a nice one, Izuku agreed. He also didn't like the current situation that they were in, but knew that they needed to resolve it with calm discussion, not angry, emotional shouting. They needed to do it behind closed doors, so they could confidentially speak their minds to one another. Given their current scenario, that wasn't something they could just do right now…

When they started their relationship, both of them knew, deep down, that if something like this did happen, they had to put their Hero training first, no matter how much it hurt. They had spent years dreaming of being able to stand with the best of the best in all the country. If they fell behind on their work, then it meant that becoming Heroes would be that more difficult in the long run…

Now that it was here though, they both had realized that putting their problems aside was a much easier thing to think than it was to actually do. The idea that they could just abandon whatever issues they had to focus on work was, in hindsight, laughable. It simply wasn't possible. For months now, the two had been growing close and closer, deepening their affections and experiencing all sorts of new emotions and feelings together. To just drop whatever bumps in the road came, and pretend they didn't happen to focus on other subjects… Neither of them had been in a relationship before. Both had no idea what to expect.

Neither knew that just letting that sort of thing slide was going to be this difficult. It was their first real disagreement that had serious emotional issues for the two of them. Letting something this important slide, to Mina, was just undoable. Not this.

So the idea of just dropping it, and waiting until they were back home, where they'd have all the time in the world to discuss their issues to death… It was a nice one. A reassuring one. One where they could focus on what they had come here to do, and focus on themselves later on.

A good compromise. One that worked for both of them.

They would talk…. But not until they had the comfort of familiar territory to do it in.

"I just… I just wanna let things be how they were before we came out here. I just wanna spend time with you and love you without having to worry about us having a row later in the day…" The sleepy girl whispered, honesty dripping alongside her heartfelt words. It wasn't something that Izuku had noticed before, but did she become more open with her feelings the more tired she got? Considering that she was a very honest person by default, that was certainly saying something.

"Okay…" Izuku nodded, quietly. He was all for this idea, to just let things go for now. After such an openly honest plea, he didn't think he'd be able to refuse it even if he wanted to, anyway… "..B-But still, wh-why're you in here?"

"Mmm, I just told you. You're not in the girls' room." She repeated, before hugging him once more. There had been an overall lack of intimate contact since the trip had started, her current clingy affection not being something that had come from being starved for physical contact for just a single day. Nothing but Quirk training had gone on for the whole day. Right now, she just wanted some intimate cuddles, no matter how childish or clingy it might seem. "Just lemme have this? Please?"

"B-But if Aizawa-sensei o-or someone else catches you in here…"

"I'll take the blame." Mina responded, this time much quieter, falling asleep more and more by the second. Her grip seemed to loosen as her drowsiness increased. In terms of forcing herself awake, she'd completely reached her limit. "Don't worry… 'bout it…"

With that, Mina's head completely slumped, and her body went limp as she blacked out of the woken world, a combination of extreme intimate comfort with Izuku, and absolute mental and physical exhaustion combined to make her totally knock out. Her last movements were her snuggling up even closer to him, curling up slightly, wrapping her leg around one of his, locking them into place.

Izuku already knew that trying to wake her up now was going to be a pointless, fruitless endeavour. Even if he managed to get her to open her eyes, she wasn't going to leave now that she'd set her mind on staying with him tonight. He didn't have it in him to move her either, now that she'd finally gotten to sleep.

He let out a small sigh, unable to decide if he should be exasperated, or amused with his quirky girlfriend. This was a pretty par for the course sort of thing from her, he supposed, making him chuckle again, this time for slightly longer. Taking his right arm, he rested his hand on her hip, the closest body part to him that he could reach without rolling over and pushing Mina off of him. With his left arm, trapped from the bicep up by her body weight, he managed to curl up his forearm to pull her into a slightly closer hug by resting his hand on the small of her back.

"Night, Mina…" He said, quietly, before kidding her forehead and closing his eyes. He was already totally aware that tomorrow morning was going to be an eventful scenario for the pair of them once their classmates woke up and saw this, but he'd deal with that when it came to dealing with it.

It had only been a couple of days since the pair of them had slept together like this. Apparently for Mina, that had been far too long, and while Izuku could easily have lasted a lot longer without this level of intimate contact…. He didn't want to push it away either. Frankly, though getting him to verbally admit it would be like trying to get blood from a skeleton, it made for some of the most relaxing and comforting contact that he enjoyed. He didn't want to deprive himself of that.

Instead, he just held his girlfriend close, and fell asleep.

* * *

Rise and shine time. Seven o'clock sharp.

Mina wasn't normally the sort of person who would up and wake up immediately. She wasn't in any way, shape, or form ready to wake up. She would much, much rather just roll right over and put off having to open her eyes and actually wake up for as long as physically possible. And that was just her when she woke up normally. Given that she'd been working off of five hours of sleep thanks to the extra remedial lessons, she barely even considered opening her eyes.

A situation which, for Izuku, was bound to cause him no limits of awkwardness.

Once the call to wake up had gone out, in the form of a loud announcement from Mandalay's Telepath Quirk blasted straight into everyone's heads, the students in the male dorms were fairly slow to rise. None of them in particular were morning people, except for maybe Tokoyami, whom seemed ready to wake as soon as the call was made. Otherwise, the other students needed a couple of minutes to adjust to the early morning light. Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero and Sato in particular all needing a bit longer to sluggishly get themselves into gear.

It took the green haired boy himself a few moments to wake up himself, but he was quite ready to go once he'd adjusted. He'd gotten more than enough sleep the previous night, even though he had been interrupted by Mina in the middle of it. Once he'd rubbed his eyes and gotten a built up yawn out of his system, he was, surprisingly, well awake. In a couple of minutes, he'd be wide awake.

"Midoriya?"

Tilting his head slightly to the side to face the person he was addressing, Izuku was met by Tokoyami, stood just half a meter to the side of him, and looking down on him with a mixture of what seemed to be confusion.

"Morning, Tokoyami…" Izuku sleepily greeted, blinking a couple of times in an effort to remove the sleep from his eyes. Stifling another short yawn, he then addressed the crow-headed boy, still looking at him as though he'd grown another head. Suddenly feeling rather self-conscious, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Is… That Ashido?"

For the briefest of moments, Izuku had completely forgotten that Mina was even there with him, until she shifted herself in response to the noise and his movements, prompting him to look down, and see his pink girlfriend, still wrapped around his waist. A couple of nanoseconds later, the memories of when he had been woken in the middle of the night came flying back into his head, making him go red in the face. Looking back at Tokoyami, he was then met with a sea of faces from the rest of his classmates, all with expressions like they had caught the two of them in the middle of something much, much more inappropriate.

"What the hell is Ashido doing in here?..." Kirishima questioned, running his scarred eye with his fist, his other eye firmly shut to keep out the light. Out of everyone there, he was probably the least surprised, excluding Izuku of course, though going solely by his vocal response, he was still thrown off by her presence.

"Late night tryst by the look of things." Kaminari muttered through a yawn. "Even when the remedials were all up so late… I'm not even surprised at this point. Lucky bastard."

For his part, Bakugou didn't utter a word. He wiped his eyes clear from any water and sleep that may have formed in his eyes when he woke up, and then glared over towards the curly haired pair without a word.

"Midoriya, you green headed son of a bitch…" Mineta almost seemed to growl towards Izuku with what could almost be called genuine ferocity towards the freckled student. Ferocity that genuinely made Izuku worried that the Pop-Off Quirk user was going to attack him one of these days if he didn't stop seeing Mina basically draped over the awkward teenager.

Iida's response was far more reprehensive though. The fact that the green haired boy was his friend wasn't any form of defence for the Engine Quirk user, especially not in this particular scenario. "Midoriya, what exactly is the meaning of this?!"

"I-I swear this isn't what it looks like!"

"No, 'Zuku… Don't… Stop…" Slurred words came from the barely awake girl wrapped around his waist, apparently in response to the noise that was going on around her. If she was actually sleep-talking, had seriously misunderstood the subject of the conversation, or was just spouting utter gibberish was up for debate. Still, what she had actually came out with was… Even more embarrassing that their default situation. "Keep… Goin'…"

"Y-You are _not_ helping, M-Mina!" Izuku stammered loudly, his blush increasing until it overtook his entire face, burning at the words that he just heard. If she was dreaming, and not trying to mess with him like she loved to do, then the subject of said dream was seriously going to have to be called into question. Frankly, the inheritor to the power stockpiling Quirk wasn't sure what was more embarrassing – Either the fact that everyone had come to the seemingly out of nowhere conclusion that the two had engaged in far more intimate actions the previous night, or the fact that she'd muttered that completely out of context!

As he was going red, however, perhaps in part to his unusually loud exclamation of embarrassment, the pink girl finally opened her eyes, slowly, before slamming it back shut again, even tighter than before, though she knew she had to get up. Dragging her heavy bones from her warm position, she forced herself to sit up onto her knees, and let out a loud yawn, and stretched her arms into the sky.

"Urgh…. Mornin', 'Zuku…" The clearly exhausted young girl drowsily greeted, still with her eyes firmly closed, completely unaware of the many other male students that were just staring at her in a mixture of amusement and disbelief that she actually had just snuck into the boys' room.

Granted, it seemed like something someone like her would do, when everyone stopped to think about it. Mina's affection towards Izuku was practically legendary throughout the class, and infamous after the previous day. If they were being honest, the majority of the male students were just confused that, in spite of their argument the previous day, the Acid Quirk user had gone right back to acting how things were beforehand.

None of them got the chance to question it though.

" _ **Get to the dining hall quick or you'll go without breakfast!"**_

Another loud message suddenly broadcast throughout everyone's heads via the power of Telepathy. How even Heroes could manage to be this awake and ready to go first thing in a morning was something that none of the students felt that they would ever be able to understand. When the choice came, however, to choose between getting answers from Mina, who was going to still be around in half an hour, or getting some of the only free, pre-made food that they were going to get all day before it was gone…

Practically everyone quickly made their way out of the room and towards the dining hall to grab whatever they could so they could face the no doubt tortuous day ahead A word of warning, and demands of an explanation from Iida followed before he also left, leaving the room void of people. Everyone except Izuku and Mina, the green haired boy still flustered and embarrassed by what he'd been subject to from his peers, and by what Mina had muttered in her rest, and the pink haired girl herself, only just now slightly opening her eyes to attempt to adjust them to sunlight.

"Don't suppose you wanna just go right back to sleep?..." Mina questioned tiredly, already fully aware of what the answer to that question was going to be.

"We – We're gonna be training a-all day today. We should… Get something to help us through the training." Izuku stuttered, a first for him in normal conversation for quite a long while.

"Aw." Forcing herself onto her feet, slumped as her posture might be, Mina conceded the argument to Izuku without much of a fight. "Alright, you win…"

Trying to shake the blush off of his face, Izuku stood up and took a short, but deep, intake of air. Mina was already ahead of him, having opened the door and made her way into the corridor, already thinking about what gossip Hagakure was probably going to try and squeeze out of her when the invisible girl put two and two together and figured out where her friend had been the previous night. Izuku quickly followed, though he kept arm's length from his girlfriend.

Primarily out of embarrassment. By this point in their relationship, he had figured out that Mina was a very physical sort of person, in both her skills and grades when it came to schoolwork, and regarding their relationship with one another. If last night proved anything, it was that she was someone who would go to extreme lengths just to be able to sleep next to someone that she loved, and while he felt almost honoured that the one such person she did this with was him…

Her mumbling in her sleep, and the dream that she apparently had did make him question just what she exactly thought about regarding their relationship.

In her head, was she already thinking about taking things to such a level? The mere idea made Izuku blush like a maiden, and his heart beat like a jackhammer. It wasn't even that he was necessarily _opposed_ to the idea… He loved her enough to even consider it, even think about it very occasionally…

But wasn't it a bit too soon?

Then again, how soon was too soon for them? People moved at different speeds in relationships, but wasn't there at least some sort of minimum time requirement? Was that even a thing? Mina was the sort of person who just went at her own pace, slowing down only when someone held her back. If she had free reign… There wasn't much doubt that she might try something like that.

Another scarlet blush made its way onto Izuku's cheeks. With these ideas in his head now… He felt that he needed to bring it up with Mina. Add it to the list of things that they needed to talk about. Though he had to wonder, what was she going to say in response? Knowing Mina, he probably had two options – She was either going to claim that she was awake the whole time and that she was messing with him, or she was going to try and seduce him on the spot.

No other way other than to just outright, he supposed, before he gulped.

"U-Uh, Mina?..." He asked, still blushing at the thought of what the answer was going to be to his question. He fiddled with his fingers as he formed each letter, doing his best not to devolve into various mumbles and mutterings. "Did you um…. Have a dream before you woke up?..."

Scratching at the side of her forehead, the sleep deprived girl thought back. "Mmm…. Uh…. Yeah, I think so." Dreams were odd for her. She very, very rarely had a dream that she could comprehend, and be aware that said dream was happening, and when she did, they were normally surprisingly cohesive, but the moment she woke up, nine times out of ten, she had forgotten it entirely. This was one of the few cases where she did actually have a rough idea about the contents of her dream, however. "Why?"

"What, um…What was it about?"

Looking over her shoulder towards him, and with a soft smile, she answered honestly. "Would you believe me if I told you I was dreaming about the Sports Festival?"

Izuku blinked, multiple times. That was it? That was what she had been dreaming about? "O-Oh?"

"Yeah. Don't know why to be honest, but I remembered your fight with Todoroki. I keep thinking about it every so often, how awesome you were back then. And it's part of why we started talking, so I kind of think of it like the beginning of us, if that makes sense?" She let the suggestion hang in the air, and when no answer came, she gently sighed. "I guess not. I know it's still, whenever I think back to the festival, I think of you… Part of me wonders why I waited until then to talk to you, but, hindsight I guess… Hey, are you okay?"

The One For All's inheritor's face was a pure blood red colour, and steam could virtually be seen rising from the top of his head when he realized that, for once, his was the head that was actually in the gutter. Hands covered his face while he tried to calm his blush to absolutely no avail. Instead, he just simply tried to hide the red colour spreading onto his face the best he could, while his girlfriend quickly and concernedly asked what on earth was wrong with him.

* * *

 **Chapters short and not a lot happened, I know…. But I think now you all know why I've been holding off on the talk. To be honest, it's based on something me and my first girlfriend used to do. When we were busy but had issues to sort out, we'd just act like nothing had happened until we got around to dealing with it. It worked for a short while.**

 **I wanted to get this chapter out to you guys early, since I move into Uni accommodation on Saturday (tomorrow from the update of this) and I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING, since I can't promise I'll have internet. I felt this was better than nothing, so I wrote this up. I've heard your criticisms, and I've taken them on board. Thanks for all of that, too. I appreciate it all. Trust me though, I'm looking forward to what comes next.**

 **Also, this will be the final time I mention Pat Reon until this story is done (I don't intend on spamming it, but since stuff is just starting out, I have a lot of updates I wanna share) but I made my first planned story post on there – Basically an advertisement for one of the stories that I plan to write next, once I find the time to write it, that you can view if you so desire. If you're considering donating, you can see what story you will be helping to fund first and see the sort of style I'm going for – Again, feel absolutely** _ **no**_ **obligation to, only do so if you** _ **want**_ **to support me. Just wanted to make that announcement – It's an Ajin crossover, so, hah, yeah, it's gonna be real dark. You can find that at QuirkQuartz on the site if you're interested, totally for free. If you do check it out, let me know what you think ^_^**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try my best to make a more substantial chapter next week, but I can't promise anything, since I'll be getting used to Uni and adjusting. I can't even promise internet, but I'll do my best, and let you know about any delays. I'll see you next time!**


	41. The Third Day

The third day of training was much like the second, built on extending Quirks as much as physically possible, and going beyond that. It was far more exhausting than the previous day, since they were building up from the previous day, and muscles just hadn't fully recovered yet. Of course, that was the point. Once broken, muscles would grow back stronger than previously, and repeating that process would increase the strength of said muscles over and over again. The same was true with Quirks. It had been said before, but it bore repeating. Again and again.

Somehow, they still ached the next day, and getting back to using them was still straining and painful. Many would argue that the internships had been far easier than this – And some of them had actually done serious Hero work during those! The path to Heroism, it turned out, was filled with pain, hardship, and a lot of blood and torn muscles and Quirks. Then again, they already knew this perfectly well, and it wasn't like it was going to stop anyone now. This was a necessary evil when it came to training up their powers, and in the long run, it was going to be of massive benefit to them.

Didn't mean it didn't hurt like holy hell though.

Mina in particular was suffering from this exercise, her absolute fatigue still lingering in her eyes, mixed in with her pains from overuse of her Quirk. The scars on her hands and forearm were still tender, and made actually using her powers in any capacity a bit like washing paper cuts with lemon juice. The combination of the two made her feel like she was just a few seconds away from passing out entirely. She made mental notes to herself, over and over, that if she was going to avoid this horrible situation in the future, she was going to have to really buckle down and study.

She needed no more motivation than this utter torture.

While exhausted as she was, she was still putting in absolutely everything that she could into every move that she made. She had spent a lot of the day practicing on her special move, piling layers and layers of acid onto one another, until she had made a sphere within her palms. For the purposes of training, it was actually a very handy trick to have. It aided in the rapid generation of the corrosive liquid, and it helped to train her skin to build up even more immunity to it. Still, the sheer intensity of it caused her a huge deal of pain, rendering her unable to keep it up for more than about twenty seconds at a time.

It was after the third attempt at this, while her hands felt like bleeding, yet no red liquid came out, that she just took a moment to step back, and allow herself to recover. Just for a few seconds. Maybe a minute.

Or two.

"Ashido!"

Aizawa-sensei's voice alone was now enough to make the pink skinned girl shudder. She practically associated it with nothing but pain and educational torture and torment. Half terrified, she reflexively stood to attention, awaiting whatever her homeroom tutor had to say to her.

"You're slowing down." The Erasure Hero bluntly observed. "You were maintaining a consistent level of improvement yesterday. You're letting yourself down now."

"Sorry, sensei..." Mina apologised, though she felt that her lower performance was very easily his fault, after all the crap he'd put her through the previous night. She felt like a corpse on legs, barely any feeling left in her arms. Heavy eyelids meant that focus was a near impossibility, and physical pain just left her feeling like her whole body was made of cinderblocks. "Just... Sleepy is all."

"You were warned that things were going to be tough."

"Doesn't make things any easier though." She muttered, before attempting to secrete some more of her Acid from her palms, to begin doing what she could in terms of training again. Only she was well beyond her limit now. Whereas she could normally generate as much as she desired, now she was left with just a few drops of corrosive liquid, that pathetically dripped off her hands and onto the ground by her feet. Straining herself, she pushed, harder and harder, to generate more from her Quirk, but to no avail. A huge gasp for air escaped her as she gave in. "I-I... I'm... I'm at my limits... I... I can't..."

Truth be told, it was horrifying for Mina, leaving her with shaking hands, but not from numbness or pain. She'd never reached a point in her life when she'd pushed her Quirk to the breaking point. Previously, she'd always suspected that she could generate as much as she absolutely desired, without restriction or hindrance. Sure, when she pushed herself, she began to lose her immunity to it and it began to hurt, but she was still free to make as much as she wanted. Never had she reached a point where she just couldn't make any more.

Did her body have a limit as to how much she could generate, full stop? Or was she just exhausted beyond all measure? Or even, was it something her body did when she was simply going to do nothing but cause serious, permanent damage, as a defence mechanism?

She looked behind her, to see that Aizawa-sensei's Quirk was not actually in play here. Part of her had hoped that he was erasing her Quirk to try and make some kind of point, but instead, found that he was just observing her, waiting to see if she was going to say anything about her limit, or if she was just going to keep going.

Violent throbbing in her hands turned her attention back to herself. She kept trying of course, to generate acid from her hands, but there was no avail. Well and truly, she'd pushed herself to the absolute edge of what she was capable of. Pushing herself so far had not only left her skin no longer resistant to her Acid, she now just couldn't generate it from her palms or arms, at least not until she'd had a break from using them.

In terms of what she was good at, Mina specialised in combat. She wasn't necessarily a strategist or someone who knew how to play someone into doing the things that she wanted them to do. With her mind, and her Quirk, she tended to just focus on taking down what was in front of her, and getting stronger and stronger from it. And to no end she'd pushed herself to close the gap between her and Izuku.

Subconsciously, she looked over towards him.

Along with the other Strength enhancement types, he was still taking on Tiger, trying to match him punch for punch, or at the very least, keep up with him to avoid getting hit in the face three hundred times today. He was wrapped up in the electricity that the sheer power of One For All gave him, trailing behind him as he attacked, again and again. If there was one thing – And only one thing – That she had to compliment him on, it was the fact that every time he got knocked down, he got back up, and launched himself right back into the fray without hesitation. Even among the Pros, it was a trait that Izuku seemed to embody to absolute perfection. He just didn't back down when it came to improving himself.

It was something that, without even thinking about it, had begun to make its way into Mina.

There wasn't any doubt, in Aizawa-sensei's eyes, or the eyes of anyone that knew her, that her relationship with Izuku was what had brought this about. He was a very positive influence on her, pushing her to keep going on to do more and more, without even having to tell her to, or even encourage her to. All he did was provide an example that anyone who wanted to become a Hero should follow, and she followed him, without even thinking about it. Of course, sometimes, it was hard to feel like most of the class wasn't going by that same example.

For someone like Mina though, who struggled academically, and who lagged behind the rest of the class, having that push, that bit of motivation more that would keep her going, was the difference between falling behind beyond rescue, and forcing herself to aim for the top. Closing the imaginary gap between her and Izuku, and to protect him from the wrath of Bakugou, everything added up to made her want to be stronger. To drive her to become stronger.

As another throb shot throughout her forearms, she considered for a moment, before wincing in pain. Placing the heel of her boot against the opposing shoe, she tugged her foot out of the latter shoe, before performing the same for her other foot, so she was barefoot on the ground.

If her arms and hands weren't going to work anymore, then she'd work on her lower body's ability to secrete Acid. She could have done it with her specially designed boots, but instead, she thought that it would help to increase her ability if she had as little foot protection as possible.

"A rational choice." Complimented Aizawa, nodding in his approval of the horned girls intentions, before wandering off to inspect the other students and their progress. He had confidence in Mina's abilities, and was convinced now beyond any reasonable doubt that, left to her own devices, she would still produce great results.

Still, extra motivation wouldn't hurt her, he thought to himself.

"When it comes to the remedial students, you've probably grown the most." He stated, without turning back around to face her, though she stopped to watch him, to see where he was going with this. "I'd rather focus on training people who obviously need it. So, if you and the rest keep this rate of improvement up, I'll exempt you all from the extra sessions this evening."

"Are you serious?!" Mina practically jumped high in the air at the mere suggestion, her blackened eyes sparkling in excitement at getting out of the dreaded revision sessions. Not to mention, Pixie-Bob had reminded everyone of the prize at the end of this particular tunnel – The Test of Courage that was happening tonight, in a class against class special event A Fist threw itself high into the air, followed by her declaration. "I'll go well beyond Plus Ultra, sensei!"

"Get to it then." Aizawa instructed, making his way over towards Kirishima and Ojiro's training area, watching the Hardening Quirk user go down after a particularly solid strike from the latter's Tail Quirk that had caught him off guard. "You're already wasting time."

"Yes sir!" Acid already secreting from her feet, Mina nodded vigorously, before she began to plan out a route around her that she could use her Quirk to slide around. She'd been able to use this technique since she was a kid, just learning how her Quirk worked, and what she could do with it.

Now, she was going to push it to the limit, to see if she could increase the amount of deadly liquids her feet and legs could produce. With a spring in her movement, she began to do what she called 'Skating' with her Quirk, darting around the rocks in her own training area. Since her Quirk and training was inherently dangerous, and because she didn't want to end up hurting anyone, or lashing out towards Bakugou if he was stupid enough to carry on fighting with her, she was somewhat isolated from the others, still within viewing and walking distance, but far enough away that there wasn't any risk of her accidentally burning someone with her powers.

That meant that she was free to slide and glide along the ground and the area around her as much as she desired. And she did just that, increasing the amount of acid that she made, and the levels of corrosiveness that said acid was, all to make sure that her Quirk was becoming as strong as possible. To extend her Quirk in more ways than she had thought possible.

After all, she had plenty of motivation to push herself to the absolute maximum now.

* * *

"Oww…."

Not only did it now hurt to do anything with her hands for the time being, it also now hurt to even just stand up for the overzealous Acid Quirk user. She had put in everything that she had, far more than she had ever done before, straining herself to defeat all of her previous limitations. To be fair to her, she had succeeded. The training, technically, was a success in that regard, since she had stretched her Quirk as far as it was going to go today.

The only downside was that it had just left her totally wiped out, beyond the point of even being able to stand on her own two feet. Instead, she just was slouched down, with her back against the side of the stone wall that surrounded the fireplace that Izuku was using to cook the stew that they had been left to their own devices to make. He had offered to try and make the food for the both of them this time, knowing how to make a stew far better than he knew how to make a curry. While there was a part of him that was proud of her for going to the lengths that she had gone to in order to improve herself, he did have to say…

"You really shouldn't push yourself to the point that it becomes that self-destructive, you know. It's really reckless."

"Hah! You're one to talk!" The shattered girl laughed at the irony of her boyfriend, specifically him, being the one to lecture her about going overboard to the point of self-destructive tendencies. She shot him a big Ashido grin and spoke again. "For the first few months I knew you, literally all you did was break your bones to even use your Quirk!"

"I-I couldn't even use mine without breaking my bones! I've been training to help _avoid_ that!"

"Seriously, you can't talk about someone else being reckless, Mr. I – took – on – the – Hero – Killer – and – League – Of – Villains – and – literally – broke – myself – helping – Todoroki – while – I – was – supposed – to – be - fighting - him." She had to chuckle again when she thought about the irony that was on display. "Mr. Reckless Hero."

Izuku himself managed to smile at Mina's jovial nature, in spite of her utter exhaustion, though it was laced with a lot of serious, genuine worry about her. Yes, it was true that he had used One For All recklessly when he first received the power, his overall inexperience with powers driving that particular attitude, so perhaps his lecturing of her was a bit hypocritical, but he felt like that made him uniquely positioned to talk about how dangerous that sort of Quirk usage really was. All that had happened to him from being so guns-blazing with his power was his now slightly deformed right hand, and the many scars that covered both his palms and forearms. Scars disturbingly similar to the ones Mina now sported. There were many things that Izuku wished for his girlfriend. Following him down the path of self-destructivity when she could avoid it was not one of those things.

There were ways to train without literally breaking oneself. His training with Gran Torino had taught him that. In fact, he'd go as far as to say not only was it possible, it was absolutely fundamental if someone wanted to gain perfect control over their powers. People who trained their muscles for combat knew when to take a break, to let themselves recover, before getting right back into it. If they didn't, then they would tear their muscles beyond all repair. Of course, in terms of Quirks, Mina and Izuku couldn't be more different at the most fundamental level of just having one naturally, but that didn't prevent him from worrying about her well-being.

He loaded some more wood onto the fireplace, stacking it so that while it burnt, it would at least remain somewhat stable, and would reduce the risk of there being some sort of accident that resulted in the entire forest getting burned down. He kept an eye on Mina though, with worries that she was going to take following his example to its conclusion of self-harm in order to progress. He didn't doubt that Mina was smart enough to know that just going out and training to the same ludicrous degrees that he did wasn't going to help her much. She wasn't an idiot. When it came to using her own powers though, he did have to allow himself to worry about her. She could be unpredictable sometimes.

It was an odd feeling, being in the position that he felt that he could both trust her, but had to still look out for her. He didn't have any doubt that this was a feeling that uniquely existed to people who were in love though. This was something that he felt specifically because it was Mina that he was thinking about. One of the less fun things of being in a relationship was the worries and anxieties that were directly because of her. Because he wanted her to live as painless a life as possible, even where it wasn't avoidable, but didn't want to restrict her, but also didn't want her to screw up on things he knew she would do if she went down the same route he did to gain strength.

Relationships were complicated, and he didn't even have the first clue on how to articulate it.

Poking his head around the corner of the fireplace, he looked at his girlfriend, whom had her eyes closed while gently massaging the fleshy area of her palm, where her thumb met with the rest of her hand. While the girl certainly knew how to push herself when she wanted to, Izuku was starting to worry that she was forgetting how to hold back. She had mentioned how she had reached the point of inability to activate her Quirk in her arms to him, but he knew it wasn't anything to worry about. He had met people who had Quirks that, if they used them to an excessive degree, would stop working, in order to protect the body. It was rare that some0one ever reached that point, but it did happen. The long and short of it was that it wasn't anything to worry about. In fact, after a few moments of just letting her arms recover, Mina had discovered that she was able to secrete Acid from her hands again, although it still stung like crazy.

There wasn't much doubt that Mina had hit that particular point when it came to her 'Special Move'. It was something that her body just couldn't withstand right now, and jumping straight into it was equivalent to someone who had just started at the gym going straight for a 200lb bench-press. In order to do something like that, she would have to develop her skins resistance much, much higher than what it currently was.

If she really worked hard at it, perhaps she could manage to surpass her own limits, and become one of the class's most powerful students. She certainly had the Quirk for it. Now she just needed the training – The correct, well planned out, and developed training.

"Are…. You okay, Mina?" Izuku asked, allowing the care in his vice to show that he was worried for her well-being.

"Yeah, for the fifth time, Izu, I'm okay." The pink girl lightly smiled.

How long had it been between them? Just about two months, Mina recounted. She didn't have the specific date off of the top of her head, so it was really just a guess. In that relatively short span of time, the two had grown closer to one another than they had to anyone else in their lives. They had done so much, and been through it all together, backing one another up and pushing the other to go even further beyond their limits. They had fought Villains together, gone up against people who were far better qualified to be Heroes, and even trained against one another. Intimacy was still a hazardous subject between them, but they had shared plenty of moments, mostly, if not entirely because of Mina's actions.

Still, just that simple gesture of asking if she was okay, just showing that he cared about her enough to ask, made Mina's heart go aflutter.

She smiled to herself, this time a lot brighter.

Part of her was beginning to wonder if her worries that Izuku didn't love her were all in her head. Just fabrications that she had made up in a bout of self-doubt and anxiety.

They probably were, she thought to herself, feeling her lips widen as her smile grew

* * *

Time seemed to pass by quickly once Izuku had started making the food for himself and Mina to consume. A stew took a while to actually make, so the two had spent the time talking and discussing Mina's training methods, and how they could be improved. Several suggestions Izuku made was to try creating a weaker acid, but to keep continuously secreting it for much longer than her regular stuff, to her build up that immunity to her powers. Another suggestion was to try and coat her hands in as small amount of acid as possible, and then use that to melt as many rocks that she could, which would force her to generate far more corrosive substances than what she already was working with. Both methods would increase her resistance to her overuse of her powers in different ways, building up her ability to use her Quirk for longer periods of time, before moving onto her 'Special Move'.

Some people around them did make a few jokes at their expense between themselves, at how they seemed able to go from their fight the previous day, which had resulted in them barely talking to one another, right back to their normal selves, like nothing had ever happened. It was amusing to a great many number of the students there, the male students in particular, though they still lacked answers for whatever Mina was doing in their room that morning. She practically wore the jokes like a badge of honour at that point, and teasingly refusing to answer a single question that would explain why she had snuck into Izuku's futon, instead just beaming at how things had settled down.

Jokes and banter aside though, they were all glad, with the exception of Bakugou. Seeing the pair of them interacting as normal had become something that the entire class had gotten used to. While they fought, things seemed to just feel odd. Like the entire class dynamic had just broken down. It was thanks to their choice to put it aside for now that things felt like they had returned to normal for Class 1A. Or as normal as things were going to get for the class of quirky teenagers.

As it turned out, Izuku did actually possess some skill when it came to making something like a stew. It wasn't even vaguely close to something that Mina could do when it came to food, but it was a very tasty meal nonetheless. It filled both the curly haired students up, something that they both were in desperate need of. Once filled up, with food in their bellies, they set about washing up all of the crockery used.

It only took about half an hour to complete, and once that was done, it was time to the main event of the day – The Test of Courage. Basically, a route that the students would follow was set up, in which the members of Class B would be hiding, waiting to try and scare the hell out of everyone who passed them by. Quirk use was permitted, along with whatever else they could think of. Sort of like setting up an improvised haunted house route in a way.

In particular, Mina seemed to be bouncing up and down on the spot, with pumped up fists close to her chest. She had been very vocally been looking forward to this event all day, and it showed clearly.

And was crushed when it was revealed that the remedial students still had extra sessions – something that Aizawa had "Logically rused" to have gotten rid of for today, in exchange for the students putting their all into the training.

Looking back, Izuku saw that entire day as the final one before things came to a head.

Between him and Mina, and the world of Heroes and Villains as a whole.

* * *

 **This... Was a difficult chapter. I know it's short, and I know it's late, but here's the thing – University life is bloody stressful. The entire week has been one hell of a roller-coaster. It's been fun as all hell, but it's been stressful to sort out. The good news is I DO have internet, so that's all good. Fairly decent internet too, considering that pretty much everyone is always using it. Updates can still continue, but classes will start to take priority. I get quite a bit of free time, so I'll be able to work on stories as I like, but I also need to be aware of how much time I spend on my stories here as opposed to my actual Uni work. It'll probably smoothen out once I get settled in.**

 **Some will think the ending is rushed – I actually did plan for it to feel like this. Primarily because, we all know how this went, and I'm not here to just repeat what the story did. That's boring. Plus, I like the narrative that this gives me to work with. The more observant and deductive of you will figure out a little hint I threw in there.**

 **I think I'm going to be doing some shorter projects as well these next few weeks, mostly just to get some of the ideas I have in my head onto paper, since I've been excited to work on new stuff. These chapters can drag on a bit, since I don't really get much creative freedom with what I have planned, and I wanna work on some more creatively liberating stuff, but want to also remain providing content for those who follow this story. I've worked out a timetable for it, so it shouldn't hurt Awkward Energy's releases at all.**

 **At this point, I'm rambling, I know. I just feel kinda bad that this chapters so short. It was originally gonna be another entire scene, but time constraints and my timetable and ARGH. Things are difficult right now. I'm really sorry about that. I'll make it up to you guys, I promise!**

 **Until then, I hope you somehow enjoyed this short filler chapter, and I'll see you next time!**


	42. Fire and Water

If there was one thing that Mina longed for when it came to this revision summer class hell, it was excitement and stimulation. Something that made it less of an absolute chore. Something that just didn't make her want to split her head open on a desk in a desperate attempt to add some colour into the absolute tedious dreaded bleakness of the whole escapade.

Of course, naturally, she was pretty pissed off when it came to Aizawa-sensei, promising to let them off the hook with revision sessions, and then just yanking the carpet from underneath them. She should have been used to it by now. They all should have been used to it by now. They all collectively blamed their fatigue for their inability to deduce the 'Logical Ruse'. None of them were in the slightest bit happy with their current predicament. They all had only themselves to blame for having to take these sessions in the first place, that was true, but that didn't mean that they had to like it, in any way.

She knew it would serve to help her in the end. In the back of her mind, she did acknowledge this, and she thought that everyone else did too, even though none of them liked it. None of them wanted anything to do with it, but they all did know that it would help, in the long run.

To use Aizawa-sensei's metaphor, it was like a carrot at the end of a stick.

A carrot that was bitter, rotten, and filled with sleep-inducing pills, but a carrot nonetheless.

"Isn't it funny?!"

Mina very audibly groaned, making absolutely no effort whatsoever to hide her exasperation. This dude again…

"The amazing Class A, producing a whole five failures, while class B only had a single one!" Neito Monoma, again, proving that he was odd beyond all sense of the word. Erratic and frankly, not all there.

"What the hell is your malfunction, dude?!" Kirishima posed the question that literally everyone else in the room was thinking, sounding more exasperated than he did angry. His eyes were just as wide as anyone else's, before he just gave up, allowed his face to fall, and plodded over to a seat behind the Copy Quirk user.

Whom was still laughing away, now facing the board, like he was remembering the most hilarious joke that had ever been conjured by a human being. It bordered the line from being irritatingly smug – Even in the face of his own failure - Into just outright creepy.

"What is wrong with that guy?…" Mina muttered towards her red haired classmate, seriously unsure of what to even make of this guy. He was reaching a point where he was straight up starting to freak her out. She didn't think she'd lose much sleep if she never saw him again.

"He was going on about this yesterday too…" The Hardening Quirk user recounted while he pulled a chair from under the table and began to sit down. His expression was more one of resignation and an adamant refusal to even question the situation anymore.

"I wanna know what makes him tick." The pink girl said, before she sat down in her own seat with a long sigh. All the bizarre eccentricities that came from the blonde boy in front of her put to one side, she still was fully aware that she was looking at maybe another four of five hours of a lecture.

Note taking. Listening for hours. Unable to move aside from to write more characters. Bored out of her skull.

Another sigh. "Just focus, Mina…" She whispered to herself as she clapped her hands against her cheeks to try and sharpen her senses, attempting to motivate herself, or just convince herself to pay attention. "Just gotta get through this if you wanna be a good Hero…"

Three seconds passed.

And then she sighed again. "This is gonna suck."

" _Attention, everyone!"_

No sooner had Mina finished her exhale than she received a sharp jolt to the heart that came from the voice that shot through her head. It surprised her since it was so sudden, so loud, and directly within her brain, to the point where she actually jumped back in her seat, slightly knocking her off balance. From the reactions of everyone else in the room, it seemed to indicate that they all had heard it too, some of the other pupils having similar reactions to hers, while some remained slightly more composed.

For a brief moment, everyone looked around in confusion, until they quickly realized what the source was.

"That's Mandalay's Quirk, isn't it?" Questioned Kirishima, though he continued to look around, like he was half expecting the auburn haired girl to show up from behind them or something. To be fair to him though, having voices emanate from inside one's head was a bizarre feeling.

It was a small and overall needless note, but, with a grin on her face, and a hand over her heart, the horned girl said, "I love that. Always gives me a shock!" A fan of the horror genre and the likes for making her react in the ways it did, anything that made her heart race was good by her.

Kaminari mentioned something about the fact that the communication was one way, and Aizawa-sensei mentioned something about keeping quiet.

For some unknown reason, there was a gap in-between communications, a brief silence before the next message from the Telepathic woman arrived. It was just about five seconds, before the next bit of communication came through.

And when that particular message arrived, that was when the bombshells were dropped.

" _We're under attack by two Villains, and there's a possibility there are more out there!"_

Any noise, amused, curious, or anxious in nature, or outright noise full stop, ceased immediately. Eyes became wide open, and students looked towards one another in a mixture of confusion and terror. It took a few seconds for some of them to even register the words that they were hearing, Rikido and Monoma looking more confused than they did horrified.

Horror was something Mina usually loved, when she knew there was no actual risk of anything bad happening. A movie, a game, a book, a Haunted House. It was suffice to say that she was a fan of being scared in that respect. This wasn't even close to that feeling though.

This was actual fear. Horror in this scenario, real, actual horror that was the human races survival instinct in action, was something that she had only felt a few times in her life, and the majority of which being from her time in Yuuei, used its insidious claws to sink right under her skin, and into her heart. While it seemed to do that for everyone… For her in particular….

Hadn't Izuku been left with Mandalay? Wasn't she one of the ones who had been overseeing the Test of Courage?

Wasn't he with her?

" _Everyone who can should get back to the camp immediately! Do not engage any Villains you run across – Just retreat!"_

Izuku was in danger.

That feeling just hit the acid girl like a sledgehammer. That feeling of dread, or fear, not for her own safety, but for the people that she cared about. Her heart began to race.

It didn't matter how many times someone came into contact with this particular feeling. That sense of dread was always there. You didn't just become numb to it because you had felt it so many times. People didn't grow numb to happiness because they felt it over and over again, or sadness for the same reasons. The same was true of this sickening feeling of dread when Villains were nearby, and everything suddenly had turned into a dangerous battle.

All that changed in that moment was the fact that people became able to act in spite of that fear.

Aizawa-sensei was already moving, bolting towards the door like his life depended on it. In this scenario though, the lives of others was certainly at risk. Like a true Pro Hero, the homeroom teacher was gone, and Erasure Head was brought out in his place. "Vlad, take care of these guys! I'm going out to protect the students!"

"How did our location get leaked?!"

"Wait, sensei!" Without any input on her part, at least not consciously, Mina shot straight out of her seat, knocked her chair down in doing so, and shot straight for the door herself, before anyone could stop her.

The sheer speed that she moved at caused her to run into the wall in the corridor, though she softened the collision by using her right arm as an impact dampener. As soon as physics allowed her to, she then darted right off down the same corridor towards the entrance way, with as much speed as she could muster.

It wasn't a conscious choice. Her body just moved before she even knew what was happening. There wasn't any conscious thought in what she was doing at this point. She was just moving, because her body told her to move. To get up and get ready to fight. To be prepared to do whatever it took to end the sudden conflict that he been placed in front of her.

To get ready to be a Hero.

"Ashido! What're you doing?!" She heard the calls from Kirishima back in the study room, though she paid absolutely no attention to them whatsoever. She just kept moving with all the energy and strength that she had, charging like her very life depended on it. "Ashido!"

One could argue that, in a way, it did.

Where was Izuku? Was he okay? What was happening to him? If he was with Mandalay, didn't that mean he was in the middle of direct contact with the Villains already? Was he fighting, or as he running?

A dumb question. If Mina knew Izuku even slightly, then she knew that he was going to be there, to help fight off the Villains before they could even lay a finger on anyone. But…

That meant he was in danger. Serious danger. If these were actual Villains…

He needed her help. She needed to be there. She was supposed to be there. She needed to back him up! They were supposed to be a Hero Team! Team Awkward Energy!

Teams were supposed to stick together in this sort of situation! She needed to be there for him, right now! Otherwise, what was even the point?!

Each one of these thoughts raced through her brain as she barged out the front door, stood merely a few inches from the back of the Erasure Quirk user. Capture weapon in hand, he had stopped dead in his tracks, merely frozen for just a second

Bellowing dark flames were towering right over the trees that made up the forest, catching onto more and more flammable woods and spreading at a rapid pace, destroying the forest that was supposed to be protected by law. The wind battered against it, and the whooshes of the pyro could be heard, along with the snapping and crackling that came whenever wood caught on fire. Absolutely no chance whatsoever of this being a natural occurrence, Mina instantly knew. The flames were darker than any natural flame that she had ever seen in her entire life, and she had gone to school with several fire type Quirk users, each of which didn't have flames like this. The possibility of it being accidental was also removed. Todoroki's flames looked different, lighter, and all the stoves that relied on fire to heat up food from earlier had been put out to avoid such a scenario.

There wasn't any doubt. This was a Quirk related fire. This was a deliberate action from the Villains.

"Holy crap…" She said aloud in a tone that barely concealed her fear, her eyes wide open at the mere sight of the blaze. She felt a shudder run down her entire spine with such force it felt like it paralyzed her movement altogether, freezing her into place. In that moment, the only thing that she could think about was how this was different to the USJ invasion. This was different than tangling with Overgrow. This was different to everything else that she'd done, either with Izuku by her side, or not.

Because these were people who weren't messing around. This wasn't a ragtag bunch of crooks assaulting a location in the hopes of making a quick buck. This wasn't some maniac who couldn't control his Quirk lashing out while in an unstable frame of mind. This wasn't a training exercise.

These were people who had a plan. Dangerous people. Actual Villains who were serious. Who knew what they were actually doing.

Her comment made, the Professional Hero looked back over his right shoulder, with an expression that bordered between barely concealed terror, to strict Heroic stoicism, and anger at her refusal to follow instructions and active part in following him into direct danger. "Ashido, what're you – "

"Always worrying about others, huh, Erasure Head?"

One new voice. Not belonging to anyone that either the older man, or the young girl recognized. Mina's heart stopped for a brief moment when she began to hear the flicking of flames - Whilst a thin, bony hand came into view around the corner of the doorframe, aimed right at the Pro, tiny candle sizes fires bouncing off of the fingers and palms, yet growing every thicker and more plentiful.

"Get back - !"

With a loud crack and spark, almost like an explosion going off, an enormous blast of dark tinted flames engulfed the entire area in front of the stitched up hand, causing it to be pushed back by sheer recoil. The Quirk seemed to reach the same height as the building and the trees, soaring high into the sky with emission.

Sheer heat and force caused Mina to stagger back and cover her face in an effort to protect it from burns. She wasn't able to retreat too far, as she found her back against the now closed door. The door only opened one way, and the pink skinned girl was more focused on not getting roasted to even remember that fact.

And on the fact that it looked like Aizawa had just been blasted into absolute smithereens.

"Sensei!" Activating her Quirk into her palms, Mina readied herself to unleash a strike as soon as she had to. If Aizawa-sensei had been injured, or even just burned to death thanks to that attack, it suddenly meant that the students were now on their own.

Both equally horrifying, but she couldn't worry about Aizawa-sensei, or that daunting possibility right now. If she wanted to stay alive, she had to focus on what was happening right now. Pain still screamed in her palms from the earlier training as she pooled her Acid, but she forced herself to totally ignore it. Pain, right now, could keep its mouth shut. This was life or death.

"You Pro Heroes need to just stay out of our way .You're not the ones we've got a quarrel with." Taking a few steps forward, the Villain finally revealed himself to Mina, though he didn't turn to face her for a few seconds, only acknowledging her due to her bright pigments catching the attention of his peripheral vision.

Frankly, this particular Villain looked like a broken, shrivelled, burned up husk of a shell. Several parts of his face and arms seemed burned into a purplish brown colour, charred by something, possibly by his own Quirk. The charred skin was held together to his healthy skin via stitches, including a series around his chin that made his face appear to have somewhat of a permanent smile. In spite of his numerous scars, he couldn't have been older than his early twenties, at the most. He was unsettling just to look at.

He looked like Villainy incarnate, armed with a burning Quirk. It couldn't have gotten more fitting than that.

"I remember you." He addressed the first year student directly, his disturbingly contradictory bright blue eyes glaring right back at her black and gold ones. He didn't seem particularly surprised by her presence there. Part of him almost suggested that he expected it. "You're pretty high on Shigaraki's kill list."

A bead of sweat ran down from Mina's forehead all the way down to her chin while he eyes narrowed into a glare. Acid dripped from between her fingers onto the ground, dissolving in a small pool by her feet. "Shigaraki?!..."

She remembered that particular name far, far too well. The person who was commanding the League of Villains. The person responsible for the USJ, and, the one she hated him for the most, holding Izuku hostage just little over a week ago. That memory was still fresh in her memory, fuelling her anger towards the Villain. More than any reasonable Hero probably should have towards any one individual, not that anyone could blame her though.

But there was a lot of what this fire using Villain said in his proxy that she did not like.

Kill lists. Remembering Mina. And Shigaraki's name. Not that it took someone particularly smart to put the pieces together, but she quickly summarized that that translated to something that was downright terrifying – The league of Villains was here, and they had a list of targets that they were here to kill. Apparently Shigaraki had just completely given up any sort of pretences and was outright plotting to murder those who got in his way, or just those he didn't like.

With a lunge, Mina charged straight for the Villain – She could either try, and fail, to run back into the building, only to end up being turned to charcoal alive, or she could launch an attack and have a slim chance at getting out of this mess alive. With those options before her, there wasn't much choice to be had. Hr right hand was filled up, corrosive liquid spilling out of her palms as she shot straight towards her target with as much speed as she could muster.

Reacting to the incoming student, the Villain threw his hands down the short corridor, charging up a blast of fire which danced within his hands. In a small space like this, he wouldn't need much fire at all to totally engulf the entire area, leaving the pink girl with absolutely no means of escape. He would easily burn her to death, leaving behind only a skeleton, if she was lucky.

At the last second however, once the flames were reaching their peak, they suddenly stopped.

In that very same moment, Mina slammed her palm straight into the centre of the Fire Quirk user's chest, without mercy or hesitation. She felt her palm dissolve straight through the clothing and into the chest of the Villain. Within the back of her mind, she knew that what she was doing would actually kill the Villain. She knew this, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it wasn't like she was proud of the fact that she was doing this, or even wanted to do it. Heroes weren't supposed to kill if they could help it. They were supposed to capture and turn them over for arrest, and if that was within her capacity to do so, she would have done gladly.

That wasn't an option though. Not with this guy. A fire based Quirk from his hands that could easily kill someone? A Villain who was here with the goal to kill others? Someone who had possibly killed her homeroom teacher already? In a scenario when they had nearly no idea what was going on? And a feeling that this guy wasn't going to spill his secrets, even if they managed to keep him as a prisoner?

Capture wasn't going to work. She repeated it to herself, again and again while she felt the inside of this person cover her hands, soaking it with blood and God knew what else. This was something that she had to do. In her position, anyone else would do the same. Any other Hero would understand, and no one could fault her for choosing to fight to stay alive rather than to run and die.

Heroes had to do unsavoury things sometimes to protect others. That was their jobs.

Not that those facts made her feel any less sick, though. She could feel her stomach churning, making her want to vomit up everything she'd eaten today.

This was something that she had to do.

"Guess that's a Pro for ya…" The Villain, through what seemed to be a choke, managed to croak out, while looking past the one with their hand within his ribcage. What he was referring to in that moment, Mina only had a small hope that it was what she thought it was. Before she was able to check though, the Villain then seemed to address her. "You're quite a government sponsored tool of violence, aren't ya?..."

Small adjustments in both Mina's and the Villain's heads allowed them to look at one another. Showing the Villain's smug grin, and how his entire body was falling apart, like he were disintegrating from within. Chunks of him seemed to just be falling off of his face, and even his clothing, like he were all one big piece of flesh. He looked like he was almost like a zombie, dressed up for one of the early twenty first century's most popular television shows, complete with rapidly rotting flesh and burns.

Only about seven times more terrifying.

Sheer shock and horror made Mina jump back, ripping her hand from the Villains chest as she did so. It was still covered in blood, though her Quirk made quick work of dissolving it off. As she pulled back, and got a clearer view of the Villain, she saw his entire body fall apart, melting into some kind of weird semi-brown and red paste on the floor.

One final crooked grin came from the fire Quirk user, before his final words followed. "Hope the rest of your friends are as tough as you are, Heroes. See ya later."

And with that, the Villain became nothing but liquid, leaving Mina perplexed, and slightly horrified at the ominous sentence that she had been left with. A small bead of sweat ran down from her forehead, this time running down the bridge of her nose, while she took in a few deep breaths.

She wouldn't hide it or deny it – She had been incredibly scared throughout the entirety of that encounter, almost to the point of tears, which threatened to spill out from her eyes. Her heart was still beating like crazy, and just wouldn't calm itself down. It wasn't the first time she'd ever faced off against a Villain, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but that feeling was always going to be there, she predicted. It would always be there for every day until she was no longer a Hero.

Villains were the incarnate of fear and evil, after all.

"Ashido!"

Turning her head around, and up to a slight angle, another set of tears threatened to escape from the relieved girls eyes. Using his capture weapon as a harness, there was Aizawa-sensei, completely unharmed.

Facts quickly fell into place after that. The sudden halting of the flames from that Villain, and why he stopped his attack against Mina. That had been Aizawa-sensei, using the power of his Quirk to protect her, and prevent their enemy from launching any more attacks. The Villain just hadn't spotted him on his perch, since he was too distracted by the schoolgirl and her wide variety of mutations, and her high standing within the 'Kill Listing'.

Circumstance had saved both of them.

"Aizawa-sensei, you're okay!" The relieved Acid Quirk user allowed her shoulders to relax, feeling the virtual ton of weight that had befallen her lift right back off. The strength that was in her knees left her, though she still remained stood up, even if she was shaking slightly.

The Pro Hero allowed himself to fall, landing on his feet and tugging his capture weapon back towards him once on solid ground again. Before he spoke again, he looked down at the goo on the ground that was once the Fire Quirk user. Inspecting it visually, he seemed to blink a couple of times, before activating his Quirk once again on it. Nothing occurred, however, which seemed only to confuse the long haired Hero.

"So that fire attack wasn't his Quirk?..."

"I…" The pink girl stammered, not sure what there was to say to defend herself in this situation, other than the truth. Still, the words struggled to come out, catching in her throat and refusing to just flow like she wanted them to. "I didn't… Want to. I just…"

"Don't worry about it." Came the immediate response as Aizawa scanned the trees, like he were expecting a surprise attack to follow the flame Villain. For all they knew, it was a distinct possibility. Now that they knew Villains were there, the chances that more were watching them became more and more likely. "Worry about that when we're out of danger."

Shaking her head to try to clear it, Mina then nodded. "Yes sir."

"Get back inside."

"Huh?!"

"If this Villain was the only one to be sent forward, then that means that he was probably just a scout. We know that other Villains are located where Mandalay and her group were, so that means that there's more than just one Villain here. If there's a group engaging the Pussycats elsewhere, and they sent this guy ahead, then that makes it likely that they either sent him to keep reinforcements from backing up the Pussycats… Or, the more likely scenario, there are more Villains that have all split into groups." Aizawa explained to her. "Meaning, it's not safe for you to be out here. Get back inside. Report this to Blood King, and let him know the situation."

Report to Blood King, Mina would happily do. Go back inside and just huddle up while there was still a fight on? Absolutely not.

Yeah, the Villains were terrifying, but she knew that when she followed her homeroom teacher out here. She'd encountered Villains before first hand. She knew how horrifying seeing them was, how terrifying it was to fight them. She'd faced off against one though, and won. Izuku wouldn't run if there were people in danger.

And Izuku was still out there. So she wasn't going to run either.

Before she could day a word of this though, a rapid series of rustling began to emirate from the treeline. Mina's forearms quickly coated themselves in Acid, while Aizawa-sensei's capture device began to hover as he manipulated it. Both were on high alert, with the possibility of more Villains so high, neither wanted to take the chance of getting caught in an ambush.

Mina's eyes darted from branch to branch, shrub to shrub, tree to tree, searching for something, anything, that might give away the source of the rustling.

When she found it, she was nothing less than horrified.

"Sensei!"

It was Izuku.

And his arms were virtually nothing by shattered skin bags at this point.

He himself looked beaten up to holy hell. Torn off skin and exposed muscle covered Izuku's arms all over, cutting off just at his shoulders. Those limbs were broken, like never before. He didn't even seem to have the slightest bit of connection to them anymore, just letting them dangle by his sides. It was like his bones had been grounded into nought but dust. How he was even able to move with the amount of pain he had to be in was a mystery. That wasn't where it ended though. Grazes and cuts covered practically every part of his body, and his left eye had taken a solid strike, leaving it swollen, and its owner only able to keep it half open. A blood trail from his mouth ran down his chin, revealing a busted lip.

There wasn't any other way to put it – He looked like he had been hit by a car. Actually, it would have been better had he been hit by a car, because Mina knew, without even asking what had happened.

He'd done it to himself. At least if he had been run over, he would have had the sense to avoid it again.

Around his neck was the child the two of them had encountered earlier, Kota, whom Izuku was leaning slightly forward for to accommodate his security, since he had no arms to hold the kid up with. Things quickly fell into place after she saw that…

"Izuku?!"

Managing to stagger from the treeline, Izuku came into view of both the Acid Quirk user, and the Erasure Quirk user, experiencing the same look of stressed, almost pitying glare from Aizawa, and the look of dumbfounded terror from Mina. Of the two looks, he much preferred the one the older Hero was giving him. He tried his best to avoid even acknowledging Mina there. "Sensei, glad I found you!" He said, quickly emerging into nothing but blabbering and explanation. "A lot's happened, and it's really bad out there!... There's a lot I need to tell you… But…"

"Izuku!"

"Midoriya."

"Mandalay needs to hear that Kota's okay, first of all…" Kneeling down, the green haired boy allowed the young child to get off of him, and walk over towards the black haired teacher. "Take him with you. He's got a Water Quirk, so please make sure that he's protected…"

"Wait a second –"

"Midoriya, wait."

With that, Izuku turned around, preparing to run off at top speed. Whatever was going on apparently required his attention far more than just sitting down and explaining what was going on to either of them, at least from his perspective.

But was stopped by Mina grabbing his shoulder. "Izuku, what the fuck have you done to yourself?!"

His girlfriend's abrasive language quickly made him turn around to actually acknowledge her for the first time since emerging from the greenery. It was clear that it had caught him off guard, even when he had heard Mina losing her temper at Bakugou just the other day. His eyes were wide open when he turned around to face her.

Seeing the tears that had been on the verge of falling finally escaping her eyes.

"M-Mina, there's still – "

"No, are you out of your mind?!" She yelled at him, through tears and a rapidly constricting throat. "Look at yourself! For just five seconds, look at yourself! I – I don't even want to know how you managed this, b-but you can't go back out there! Are you insane?! Do you _want_ to die?!"

"Those bones…" Aizawa-sensei commented, sighing loudly at the mess of a sight that was one of his top students. No matter how many times he repeated this to him, he just didn't seem to learn. "You've done it again, Midoriya."

Izuku was aware of the damage that he had done to himself, and he was fully aware of what the implications were here. Not only had he broken his arms to this level, but he'd gone against the fundamental laws of Quirk use – To never harm another person unless those in charge gave express permission. Since there were Pro's nearby, it didn't matter that they had all been in danger – The Heroes would be expected to deal with the situation, without account for the various scenarios that happened. That was how the law worked, even if it made absolutely no sense.

He didn't regret it for a second though. "But…"

"You're not going back out there, Izuku!" The Acid girl yelled, doing her best to try and pull him back towards the lodge. "You just got back here, and you're gonna drop dead if you go back out! You're not – "

Stopping her from just dragging the battered Quirk inheritor away from the current mess, she found herself being pulled away from her boyfriend, via the capture device used by Aizawa. Within seconds, she was wrapped up in the capture weapon, unable to move in any way at all.

The first one to respond was Izuku, with a mixture of shock and confusion. "Mina! Aizawa-sensei, what are you – "

With a tug, Aziawa dragged her towards him. "As I was saying Midoriya – Tell Mandalay to broadcast to everyone that it's okay to fight."

"What?!" Mina squirmed rapidly, trying to wriggle out of the sturdy device with every single fibre of her being. Without a way to balance herself, however, all she accomplished was making herself fall right into the dirt at the Heroes feet. Rolling over to look at the older man, she held nothing back. "You're seriously just gonna let him run off in the state he's in?!"

Aizawa didn't look down to the pink girl, instead remaining focused on Izuku. Trying to stop him from running off was absolutely pointless – He was going to run off anyway. The difference between him and Mina though was that Izuku had the power to move quickly, and to fight when he had to. He knew the situation much better, and even if he didn't… Stopping him was impossible.

The message needed to be relayed somehow. If Izuku was going to go, then logically, he might as well take the message with him.

And it looked like Izuku understood this, simply nodding as he turned away, ready to run towards the fight again.

"Izuku, please, don't…"

Once more, he turned around to see the girl he loved so much, in tears on the ground, looking towards him, pleading with him with her eyes alone. Hot water ran down her cheeks while she struggled to find her voice. Just looking at him like this – That was hard enough. To know he was going to go further into the fray, while already hammered to the point of barely being able to stand up straight…

"It's too much… Izuku, don't go…" She practically begged him quietly, just incapable of even finding the strength in her voice to speak louder than a quiet whisper. Kota looked towards her with a mixture of pity and shock at the amount of care he could easily see from the pink girl. "If you go, you'll get more hurt… I can't take it…"

For the briefest of moments, Izuku hesitated to move. For a moment, he considered acquiescing to her requests…

But he couldn't. Not with what he knew. "…I'll be back soon."

With that, he activated his Quirk, and charged away.

As Mina watched him run away, past the incoming group of students, she noticed one thing.

He was far faster than he normally was.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update. It's been a busy weekend and the internet at Uni is about as durable as a cornetto.**

 **This took a LOT of research to figure out. Based on what I've figured out, Izuku and Muscular's fight lasted only a few minutes. Aizawa's fight with Dabi started later on, hence why these things happened. The reason for Izuku getting there before he did in canon is because he's been able…. Nope, I ain't revealing why quite yet, but be aware that it's not just a deus ex machine.**

 **An update then – I've released the first chapter of my MHA/Ajin crossover, The Immortal Hero, the first story I've been able to begin thanks to kind support from people on Pat Reon. I've been looking forward to releasing this one for a while now, so the first chapter being up makes me incredibly happy. I hope you'll consider checking it out – I think I did a good job with it.**

 **I'm in an experimental mood these days, so I'll be doing a bit of different stuff. Who knows what. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you next time. See ya!**


	43. Manipulation

" _ **Erasure-Head says to all students, it's okay to fight back!"**_

Izuku was already back in that clearing, Mina realised, when she heard that Telepathic call ringing in her head once again. He had only left a few minutes ago, but had already made his way back into the fight with barely any time to breathe. That speed increase that she had noticed was definitely partially responsible for that. How he had managed to increase his speed while his body was in such a shattered, broken, and battered state, she had no idea.

But he'd done it. And now he was back into the battle.

While she was still stuck here, wrapped up in the capture weapon that Aizawa-sensei had decided she needed to remain in, so she wouldn't run off to fight. Even despite the fact he had given express permission to all his students to fight back against the Villain invasion, he wasn't permitting any of the students at the lodge the ability to go out in order to support to Pros and their classmates. Mina in particular, he apparently felt, was most likely to run off into the battle in order to locate Izuku and try to support him in some way. The point of his allowance of their Quirks was to allow them to protect themselves, not to go out looking for fights.

Something that Mina was very determined to do.

"Let me go already!"

Since being dragged back into the building by Aizawa-sensei, she had been anything but complacent or silent, squirming and struggling and fighting and yelling in order to try and make some kind of escape attempt. With Aizawa's Quirk activate on her, fully aware that she would have used her Quirk to destroy his capture weapon if he gave her the chance, she couldn't take the easy method of escape, not that it dissuaded her. It earned her a number of stares and looks from everyone who was within the building, though it wasn't like the vast majority of them didn't understand her feelings.

All the remedial students had been trapped inside the building from the word go, with Mina being the only one of them to actually get a look at what was happening outside. They all agreed with her, that they should be going out there to fight, instead of being kept in a building while everyone else kept on fighting for their lives. No one there wanted to be protected. They had all faced Villains before. They knew what it was like. And they were unable to do anything to help fight them off.

No one wanted to be cramped up in the building, just waiting for the Villains to come to them. No one liked sitting down and being a stationary target.

They wanted to help repel the attackers. Be actual Heroes.

But they couldn't.

For her part, Mina was totally frustrated beyond all belief. Izuku had been there – He'd been right there, in front of her – And she hadn't been able to do anything about it. She hadn't been able to stop him from going off to carry on fighting, even in spite of the numerous injuries, and hammered-to-smithereens arms.

She hadn't been able to do anything. And the same question kept ringing through her head, over and over again.

Why?

Why had Aizawa-sensei let him go, but kept her back? Was it because he felt she wasn't strong enough to fight against actual Villains, even when she had poured literally her own blood into the fight earlier? Was it because she would slow him down, since his Quirk granted him enhanced strength? Was it because Izuku had a history of doing this story of thing, and he wasn't going to stop now? Had all that training just been a waste of time?

Why?

Why was Izuku persistent on doing this kind of thing, again and again and again and again and again? He wanted to be a Hero, more than anything else in the world, and he was going to do anything that he could to live up to the word – She respected and loved that about him, about just how far he was willing to go in order to achieve such a goal. An admirable and selfless goal, one that she shared with him… But he had no concept of self-preservation. He didn't take into account how these injuries could affect his body. He didn't even think about it. He just did it anyway.

Heroes were no use if they got themselves killed in the line of duty. It was the best way for a Hero to go, sure…. But it also meant that there would be a thousand people that they wouldn't be able to save in the future.

Why?

What the hell was so important to him that he was willing to go so far, push himself to the literal breaking point, tear himself apart and batter his own bones to dust?

What was it that just made him charge right back into the fight without even being able to look her in the eye and tell her why?

What was so damned important that –

" _ **One of the Villains targets has been identified! It's one of the students! Their name is Kacchan!"**_

Mina just blinked when she heard that. Hard. Just the once.

There were other sentences and phrases that were going on, but even though they were being directly broadcasted into her head, they were little more than white noise to her, as her eyes shot wide open, and everything fell into place. Her own thoughts were louder. Much louder. They practically screamed at her, blocking out everything else.

No way.

No.

Fucking.

Way.

Bakugou was the Villains target? How exactly that had happened, she didn't have even the first idea. How they even knew about him, or what they wanted from him, again, was information that bypassed her at this point.

Everything else made sense now though.

And that was what was sickening Mina right now.

It was Bakugou that Izuku was doing all of this for?

There wasn't any doubt that it was Izuku who had relayed this message towards the Telepath Quirk user. Not only did this message come mere moments after the first one, but Mandalay had used Izuku's nickname for the Explosion Quirk user, so any possible doubt that it might have been info that the Heroes had gathered themselves was completely vanquished.

Izuku had said that there was something that Mandalay needed to hear…

Was that it? Was that what Izuku had so desperately needed to do that he had left Mina on her own during all of this? That he had gone against her desperate pleas for him to just stop pushing himself like this while he was in the state he was in, and to just, for once, think about himself before anyone else.

Was that why he had battered himself into the state that he was in? Because he felt that Bakugou – The person who had, and continued, to this day, to treat him like a worthless pile of dirt – Was important enough to do these things to himself? Because he still felt like the temperamental, explosively angry and furious boy was still his friend in some capacity?

Was that why he had left Mina all alone? Why he had run off and disregarded her, tried to avoid her gaze, why he had tried to dash away without telling her why?

For _Bakugou_? For the person who made his life a living hell? The person who, by Izuku's own admission, had treated him like nothing more than a doormat, a bug, an insect to just be crushed and blasted away like he wasn't worth anything. The person that Mina had seen to show no remorse for the things that he had done, and the way that he had treated people. The person that saw himself as being above everyone else, and thought that he was the best at everything. The person she had confronted, and even when he was presented with everything that he had done…

He couldn't provide a reason as to why. He couldn't justify it – He couldn't even explain it.

 _That_ was what Izuku put so much value in?

Just…

All attempts by Mina to escape from Aizawa-sensei's capture trap ceased when these thoughts began to enter her head, as she stared down at the floor, aghast at everything that was placing itself together. This was Izuku she was thinking about. Things made way, way too much sense, at least based on the actions that he was taking. The logic he was using, she didn't even slightly understand… But this was something that he would do, without question.

That was the sort of person he was….

And Mina didn't even understand it anymore. Not even slightly.

How could she?...

She could understand helping Todoroki during the Sports Festival, even at a cost to himself.

She could understand him running off during his workplace training to help Iida from the Hero Killer.

She could understand his compliance with Shigaraki during the Kiyashi Ward incident…

But he had chosen Bakugou – His childhood bully – Over her, in this mess of a situation?

That was what she had to work with. That was her perspective…

Izuku had chosen Bakugou over her….

That was what had happened… It made her want to throw up.

She couldn't understand this. Not one bit.

It just was compacted worse and worse when Mina remembered the thing that she had only just allowed herself to let go of. Izuku hadn't ever told her that he loved her. He was willing to leave his girlfriend like this, someone he was supposed to love and care about, but was willing to go fight literal Villains, to protect his childhood bully?

What was she supposed to make of that?

Did he… Did he even care about her?

When presented with a scenario like this, what else was there to think? Mina didn't like to doubt him in any way at all. She wanted to have total faith in him. She wanted to just be thinking too much. That was what she wanted, so badly, for this to be the case…

But he wasn't giving her any other way to see things. He couldn't even say that he loved her… What was she supposed to think?

What was she supposed to think…?

"Damn it…!" She muttered to herself, fighting to hold back against the tears that she could feel coming. A mixture of the danger of the situation, and all of these questions that would just not stop screaming at her inside her head…

The doubts. The fears. The insecurities. The questions

The things that she thought she had managed to just put behind her. The worries that she had about her and Izuku.

The fear of losing him…. No, now it had evolved into something that messed with her head even more.

Did she ever have him to begin with?

When all was said and done… He'd done this. And it didn't matter how honest she knew his intentions were bound to be… She couldn't take it. Not like this. Not anymore.

She needed to know. She needed to know why he was like this. Why he still gave a crap about what happened to Bakugou so much…

And she needed to hear it. She needed to hear him explain why he did these things, even when it drove a wedge between the two of them. She needed to hear him tell her how he felt about her, honestly and truthfully, and she needed to know why he hadn't been able to say it before. She needed to know… Because not knowing anymore was going to drive her insane.

But above all, she needed to make sure that he was okay. She needed to make sure that he was safe. And to do that, she needed to get out of this building, and away from the Pro's, trying to stop her.

She needed to get out of here.

When she finally managed to lift her head to have a look around, she noticed that Aizawa-sensei was gone. Completely having vanished from the room without a trace. Why and when he had done this, she had absolutely no real idea, but if she had to take a guess, she assumed that he had gone back to the clearing, to help with the Pussycats, or to try and scout out the Villains that were probably hiding out around the area. To try and figure out the methods behind the enemies strikes. Maybe he had done this when he realized that Mina had stopped fighting against her capture, and had to make a choice between making certain that this wasn't a temporary state for her, or go out and do what he could to protect everyone. Either way, since he wasn't around, that meant his Quirk wasn't either.

So she activated her own, around her arms, to dissolve the capture weapon that she was wrapped up in. A special alloy combined with capture cloth it might have been, but it was mostly effective because it was combined with a Quirk that rendered other powers useless. Without Aizawa-sensei there to make sure that his captured target was unable to use their powers, the capture cloth became just that – Specially designed, but still just a piece of cloth, easy to destroy with a Quirk like Mina's.

She tore off some of the stray threads of weapon with her left hand, before getting onto her feet. Only a few people seemed to notice her, Blood King being one of them, though he made no mention of it, perhaps because he felt that he could suppress her if the need arose with his own Quirk, or perhaps because he just wasn't aware of the reasons why Mina had charged out in the first place. Regardless of why, he didn't seem to call any attention to it. No one else mentioned it either, probably since they understood that being pinned like that by a capture weapon was bound to be uncomfortable… and they had much more pressing matters to deal with.

"You've got to let us go! They're after my buddy!"

Kirishima. Easily the most vocal person there, Mina quickly noticed. She'd been zoned out for the last couple of minutes, not paying any attention to her surroundings at all, though she quickly grasped what was happening.

With Bakugou listed at the Villains primary target, the Hardening Quirk user had practically leaped up, begging to be allowed to go out to try and help the guy. He was probably the only person there that actually considered Bakugou to be a friend at all, and given the kind of person that he was, he was more than willing to do whatever it took to help rescue him from the attackers.

It was something that Mina could use to both their benefit.

Quickly, she made her way over towards the red haired boy, and placed a hand on his shoulder, to get hold of his attention. She was rewarded very quickly, with her classmate turning around to face her almost immediately.

"Ashido?" He seemed surprised that she was up and moving around again. The majority of the surprise probably came from that she had escaped from the capture weapon. "When did you – "

"He's right, Kirishima."

For a moment, Kirishima just stared at her, before his eyes widened dramatically. "What?!"

"I said, Blood King's right."

Suddenly, a lot of the noise in the room just ceased. Everyone, except for Monoma, still confused and having no idea what was even going on, looked towards the Acid Quirk user in a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment. Given how she had charged out the way she had, her relationship to Izuku, and the way she'd been kicking and squirming to get out of the Capture device not just a few moments ago, many would have expected her to be shouting and screaming at Blood King to let them charge onto the front lines. Some even expected her to just use her Quirk to melt through the walls and make a run for it.

Instead, she was capitulating to the Heroes orders?

"What the hell are you even saying, Ashido?!" Kirishima's attention suddenly flipped away from the Blood Manipulation Quirk user and towards the pink skinned girl, with an expression that fell somewhere between absolute gobsmacked confusion, and barely concealed horror. "We got permission to use our Quirks to fight! Bakugou's being targeted – And Midoriya is still out there too! You don't think – "

"I know!" Mina yelled back in response. The anger that came with her voice was explosive, making the spiky haired boy back off by a single step, mostly from surprise. "I know that Izuku's still out there – You think that I just forgot that my boyfriend went off again and nearly got himself killed yet again?! In case you're forgetting, I'm the only one in the building right now who's actually fought against the Villains here! So let me tell you the honest truth about what us going out there would do – "

Taking a step forward to close the gap between the two of them, Mina made a point to glare directly into Kirishima's red eyes, and have her fists clenched. There was a lot of emotion in what she was doing. The frustration was real, and she was using that to fuel her angry performance.

This had to look real.

" – We'd just be in the way of the Pros…" She grimly stated, through gritted teeth. "That's all that happened when I went out there with Aizawa-sensei. I was in the way. I nearly got him killed, just because I wanted to be part of the fight… That's all that we'd be to the Pro's right now. And – And what if Bakugou isn't their only target? If we actually care about this… We can't get in their way… We just can't…"

"But – "

"Do you think I like it either? Knowing that Izuku is out there, and that I can't do anything about it? Do you honestly not think I feel like dirt myself right now? I feel like crap about even suggesting it, but if we actually want to help… We just can't do anything like that…"

"…Ashido makes an excellent argument." Iida's voice suddenly emerged from the gathered crowd, though he clearly was uneasy about saying so. Like he was forced to swallow his own beliefs on the issue himself, like Mina's statements had actually persuaded him. "In addition to having to combat the Villains, the Heroes would have to devote resources to making sure that us students remain unharmed… Which would hamper their ability to fight without restriction."

"Iida!" With an expression that looked almost completely betrayed, Kirishima looked over towards the Engine Quirk user. "You were just saying that it'd make sense for us to go and help fight!"

"The points Ashido makes are valid, however. And if we would end up becoming a hindrance to the Pro's…"

"She _is_ the only one of us who did actually see what's going on out there… She's the only one who has even a slight idea on what's going on… Though pained, Kaminari seemed to relent as well. His hand covered his face, pinching the bridge of his nose out of nothing more than frustration. "Damn it…"

"Those Villains back there looked tough..." Commented Ojiro, arms folded, and eyes firmly grounded. His tail was slouched, laid out on the floor without any strength or weight to it. "If we go and we aren't strong enough… Then the Pros are just gonna be put in danger as well… And if some of us are their targets, then we'd just make the Villains job easier…"

One by one, people seemed to start agreeing with the statement that Mina had made, as Kirishima more and more became outnumbered by people who felt, that against their own feelings and desires to go out and try to do something to help in any way, that staying put as instructed was the best course of action. Clearly, the logic given by Mina hadn't affected Kirishima's opinion on the subject in any way, shape or form whatsoever, since he clearly was still willing and ready to go to fight…

But without the support of his classmates… With them just choosing now to abandon Bakugou in favour of playing it safe…

"God damn it!"

With a loud shout of pent up frustration and anger, he made a retreat from the group altogether, kicking one of the tables in his way aside with a scary amount of force behind it, and marching towards one of the separate storage rooms, away from everyone else. Built up frustration, rage and now combined with helplessness, something that Mina knew that he hated himself for being at times, just left him with an inability to even be around people any more right now. He didn't know what to do.

And that frustrated him. Angered him.

It made him angry mostly towards himself and his own helplessness. And Mina did feel bad for it. Him running off like that was just a sign that he was frustrated beyond all measure, and needed to remove himself before he ended up hurting someone out of rage, something he was extraordinarily unlikely to do… But he didn't even want to risk. He was a good guy like that, and absolutely, Mina felt awful for intentionally doing that to him…

"I-I'll go talk to him." She told the rest of the building, quickly following her middle school ally before anyone else did so.

…But she absolutely had to do it, and she knew that he'd understand. Him of all people would understand. That was why she had done it specifically to him. Because he'd get it.

At least, she hoped so, anyway.

"Is that really a good idea?"Ojiro questioned, though he was too late to get an answer before Mina had entered the same area as the Hardening Quirk user.

The storage room was only small, enough for maybe four people to fit into it if the need arose, for whatever reason. With his fist already hardened, Kirishima had slammed it straight into the nearest wall, the force knocking over several of the stationary equipment packed onto the shelves. His sharpened teeth were gritted bare, centred tightly against one another, locking perfectly with the opposing row. Mina could have sworn that she saw tears starting to form in his eyes, though it could have just been a refection from the only light in the room.

She made sure that the door was shut before she said anything to him, hoping that it would mean as few people as possible would hear the conversation that was about to happen between the two of them. She took a deep breath, before she said anything.

"Kirishima – "

"I don't know what the hell your problem is with Bakugou."

Looking over his shoulder, Kirishima had a narrow glare, full of fury towards Mina. Fury she hadn't quite ever seen him to have before. He was a passionate sort of person, and she knew this about him extraordinarily well. He obviously felt incredibly strongly about rescuing Bakugou, no matter what anyone else thought about him for it. He was just that kind of person by default. An honestly good person.

"I don't know what Bakugou's problem is with Midoriya. I don't get it, I'll admit it – But that doesn't mean that we should just be giving up on him! We're supposed to be training to be Heroes, damn it! We can't just stop trying to save someone because it's dangerous! We cant' – "

"You don't seriously think I meant any of that crap I said, do you?"

Disappearing as quickly as it had appeared in the first place, Kirishima's expression lightened up by a considerable amount. His narrow glare stopped immediately, and his Quirk deactivated, and fist returned to his side.

"Huh?"

"Everything I said was a lie, Kirishima. You don't seriously think I'd just leave Izuku out there without at least trying to help, right?" She offered a small smile, though her heart really wasn't into it. "Sorry I said all of that out there…. But I needed you away from everyone else without it looking weird. I don't want anyone else to hear us talking, so… I needed to make sure you got frustrated and left… I need your help."

She then looked at him in the eyes once again, this time, without any fake anger, or real frustration behind it. This was a look that conveyed her honest feelings – Fear, and a plea for help. Trust, and confidence in her friend's abilities. Belief that he could help her.

"I think that without Aizawa-sensei here, I can make a quick getaway by using my Quirk to slide out of here… But I need someone to distract Blood King. To keep him out of the way so he won't chase after me for just a short while, so I'm far away from him. Enough so that if he left, he'd leave everyone else defenceless. He'd choose to protect more people rather than chasing after me. I think I have an idea where Izuku went… And if I know Izuku like I think I do, then Bakugou is probably there too."

"…You… You think so?"

Mina nodded firmly, without breaking eye contact with the Hardening Quirk user. "I'm sure of it. Aizawa-sensei will probably give us hell, but if I can just get over there…"

"I'm in then." Kirishima affirmed, bringing both his clenched fists up in front of him. He didn't have any hesitation in showing his support once it was all explained, nor did he show any reservations about what was going to need to be done. He had been told what needed to happen, and he was already prepared to do whatever was required of him.

"You are?"

"Yeah. You're faster than I am. You're more athletic, and your Quirk'll help you get further… Besides, I already have a pretty good idea on how I'm gonna distract 1B's homeroom teacher. Besides…" The next look he gave Mina was far more empathetic, more understanding, than the looks that she'd gotten from people previously in regards to the subject. "…Midoriya means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

It was more a statement than it was a question, though the tone of it was soft, genuine. Like, despite not knowing either of them all that well, Kirishima understood why she was so worked up, why she had torn him down like she had. He held no ill will towards her, that was abundantly clear, now that he understood why she had done what she had.

Somehow, he understood.

All she could do, when faced with such an honest question like that, was give an equally honest answer. "...He means the world to me. He keeps doing all of this crazy stuff, and I don't know why… But I still love him to death… I need to know why he's doing this. "

"…If this plan of yours works, only one of us is gonna be able to go off to help." Kirishima let loose a small sigh. "Even disregarding how you're quicker than me, if only one of us is gonna be able to go and help, it should be the person here who has someone they care about that much."

It was like a huge relief hit Mina's system that she hadn't realized that she had been in dire need of. Like a breath that she had been subconsciously holding had finally been allowed to escape.

Without even realizing it, Izuku had begun to influence her and her thinking, she thought to herself. Before him, she probably wouldn't have come up with a plan like this.

Just a couple of seconds passed, in relative silence, before the entire room began to shake, knocking over far more stationary than Kirishima ever did. The whole building felt like it was rattling, almost like an earthquake had struck the building. Hundreds of pieces of stationary, rulers, pencils and paper all collapsed onto the pair of them, making moving in such an environment an even more difficult affair.

Both of them knew that there was no way that it was a natural disaster though. Neither of them had a single doubt about that. Not now. No way.

Glancing towards one another, Mina clambered over a small swamp of various school equipment, and virtually fell out of the door once she swung it back open. Immediately greeted by the sight of Blood King having one of the Villains pinned against the wall, utilizing his Quirk as a hardening shell to pin down his target.

What shook her in that scene however, was the Villain.

It was the same one that she had supposedly killed not even a few minutes ago.

"It's another fake…" She muttered to herself, residing on the line between being relieved that she hadn't actually ended someone's life, and terror for the absolute same reason – Someone out there had some kind of power that let them duplicate things?

So she had ended someone else's life? If someone duplicated a life, was that duplicate alive?... She shook her head. It didn't matter.

"What the hell do you mean, a fake?" Kirishima questioned with a tilted head, now having escaped from the storage room himself. "What're you talking about?"

"That Villain… He's the one I fought outside. I used my Acid on him, and turned him into liquid… But he's here again. I think that there's a real Villain somewhere, and that these are just fakes, somehow…"

"That's perfect."

Looking over towards him now, Mina saw that Kirishima's lips were formed into a shaky, nervous smile, which reminded her of Izuku's to an extent. She could see a single drop of sweat running down from his forehead as he thought up what he was about to do.

"Ashido." He simply said, accompanied by the clicks and sheen of his Hardening Quirk activating around his arms. "Get ready to run like hell."

Mina gulped, but nodded.

And then, Kirishima went to work.

"Aaaaargh!"

Even though she had known that he was about to do something to attract attention, the horned girl was surprised by Kirishima's sudden, loud scream, that was on the verge of becoming a shriek for help, and a war cry against enemy tribes. His face suddenly became solid as rock, to which Kirishima's already Hardened fingers began to drag themselves down, causing a sickening scratching screech as he ran them down the side of his face, like a nail against class, or against a blackboard.

"Kirishima?!"

"What the hell, dude?!"

"What the hell're you doing?!" Mina demanded, partly to stay out of the suspicion of everyone else, but also because she honestly had absolutely no idea what the actual hell this was even supposed to accomplish. She just stared at him, eyes wide open, while she covered her ears to try and block out the stomach churning noise.

"I can't freakin' take this anymore!" The Hardening Quirk user yelled, before he made a beeline straight for the Villain Blood King had captured. Withou a single second of hesitation, Kirishima raised his fist, and slammed it straight through the fake, turning him into nothing but a gross liquid that encased him.

"A fake?!"

But he didn't stop there.

Without waiting for Blood King to even register that the Villain he had captured to be nothing but a fake, Kirishima made a mad rush for the doors himself, still screaming at the top of his lungs. He smashed down the doors while his skin was rock hard, and began to slam his fists together the second he got outside, making a mad rush for the treelines.

"Get the hell out here, Villains! I can't take this cat and mouse crap anymore! Fight me like a man!" He made his voice as loud as he possibly could, half hoping to actually attract said Villains towards him, so he could actually engage in a fight, and contribute to ending this entire escapade of madness. All he needed to do was make sure Blood King was distracted, to give Mina enough time to get away. "Get out here and fight me!"

Once he had made it to the treeline however, he was grabbed by the Pro Hero's Quirk, ejected from his wrists and used as a net to keep the hard-headed boy from getting any further away from the lodge. A thread around both of his wrists, and around his legs, tugging at him to prevent him from making any movements towards the forest with ease. "You need to calm yourself! Get back, before the Villains get out here!"

The treeline was about thirty five meters away from the lodge's front door. And it had taken about seven seconds for the two of them to run.

Which was absolutely perfect.

At the absolute top of his voice, Kirishima screamed, as loud as he could possibly manage, the shortest, and most basic instruction that he could possibly think up. "Run for it, Ashido!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Mina made a mad dash straight out of the building and back towards the clearing – Without anyone to stop her from running, and no Aizawa-sensei to erase her Quirk, her Acid allowed her to slide off at speeds that someone would need a pair of roller-skates to catch up with.

She sent a mental thank you towards Kirishima. Both of them were going to get into a mountain crap-pile of trouble for doing this. She didn't even like to think about the possibilities that were ahead of them. Suspension, maybe? She wouldn't put it past Yuuei to be that strict… And there was no way that Kirishima hadn't considered it either. He had to have thought about it.

And he was still doing it.

"Wait!" Blood King yelled out towards the Acid Quirk user, but before he could make any movements towards running after her, Kirishima piped up again.

"You've only got two choices now, Blood King-Sensei…" He said with a strained voice, still trying to charge off into the treeline. His only goal now was to convince Blood King to leave Mina alone., through whatever means he could manage it. "You can either just focus on taking me back to the lodge… and letting her get away. Or you can go after her, and I'll definitely run off… And she'll probably get away anyway… Take me, and I'll go quietly… Which is it gonna be?"

* * *

It only took Mina a few moments to escape from the lodge's sight, and there wasn't a single person chasing after her. Iida was too busy making sure none of the other classmates got past the site of the explosion, and he wasn't going to chase after her and abandon everyone else to the possible risk of a Villain attack.

She had a feeling that he was going to be pissed with her when he figured out that her whole speech about not getting in the Heroes way had been nothing but a load of crap… But she wasn't too concerned with that right now.

Using her Quirk more as a lubricant than an Acid to help her slide along, she quickly made a considerable distance away from the lodge. Aizawa-sensei was probably going to be at the clearing where the test of courage was going on, since there were already Villains around that location. He'd probably run off to offer some sort of tactical support if they needed it – Probably erasing the Quirks of the villains there.

Which meant, the smartest and most direct way of getting there was to cut through the forest. Which is exactly what she did.

She'd reach the Test of Courage's pathway much faster. And assuming that Izuku had caught up to Bakugou, then they'd be almost certainly cutting through the forest themselves, to get there in the shortest amount of time.

It didn't take her long at all to reach the path at all. After running halfway down the pathway to the clearing, and then cutting through the woods, she found the return path in no time at all.

Only to find yet another battle going on – This time between Uraraka, Tsuyu, and a blonde with a knife.

* * *

 **There was… a lot I had to get into this chapter. I'm hoping that the next couple will finally let me wrap up the Camp Training Arc – I'll be honest, it's my favourite Arc, but the fact I've been so canon compliant has… Been a mistake, in my eyes. I'll be hoping to adjust to this once the dorms start to become a thing.**

 **I feel like following Mina's story in this particular arc is a lot more interesting than following Izuku's – and either way, since we know what happens to Izuku in the story, seeing Mina's perspective on things makes this a lot more interesting, at least in my opinion. I feel like kirishima would be bro as all hell in this scenario. More than he usually is, anyway.**

 **So, I learned that I can check my story's rank thanks to the author of Cubicity (An Izuku X Torru story that I absolutely love. Go check it out, it's an awesome piece of work, apparently inspired by Awkward Energy. It's very well written, and has made me want to go back and revamp a few things in this story myself.)**

 **According to those ranks, Awkward Energy sits at #5 in followers, and #3 in favourites. Which is freaking MINDBLOWING to me – Thank you all so freaking much for supporting this story so much. I want to keep making better and better stories for you to read, and I'll keep pushing myself to do just that!**

 **Incidentally, like I mentioned, I do wanna go back and revise some of the stuff I've done in this story – Mainly tidying up paragraphs, adding extra detail, improving chapters, etc. nothing that would change the story's canon, but would make it even more fun to read. So I'll be doing that if I find the time, and if I reach a few goals on a couple of sites.**

 **Either way, I hope you managed to enjoy this chapter – and I'll see you next time – See ya!**


	44. Fear Comes True

To actually say that Uraraka and Tsuyu were fighting against a knife wielding Villain wasn't exactly the most accurate assessment that Mina had ever made in her life. It was more a case of Uraraka had pinned her down on the ground in some sort of hand-lock. It wasn't so much a fight as it was the conclusion of a fight, which apparently the Zero Gravity Quirk user had somewhat dominated, bar a wound that was on her left bicep.

Tsuyu meanwhile, seemed to be pinned against a wall with some kind of device by her hair, which was attached to the devices around said Villain's neck and back. The Frog girl was attempting to get said device from her hair, but seemed to be struggling to remove it, due in no small part to her awkward positioning in relation to the device. The fight primarily seemed to have been won by Uraraka, though since Mina had only just arrived, she really had no idea what had just gone down.

She had made the choice to run like hell away from the majority of her classmates back at the lodge, sure, but that didn't mean that Mina had liked being on her own while the entire area was up in a constant fight for success. It was mildly terrifying to be on her own when an unknown number of Villains with students as their targets were attacking indiscriminately at anything that even vaguely resembled a Hero bound student. At any time, from anywhere, she could be attacked, by those fake Villain clones, by a new one entirely, or by someone who mistook her for a Villain herself. All of them were distinct possibilities, and just thinking about how they might happen sent a flurry of images through her mind that she'd rather not think about.

Actually finding that her friends were both right here, but also completely okay, was nothing short of a miracle, as far as she was concerned. She all but jumped out of the brambles and the bushes that she had been marching her way through, almost tripping up once she was on solid ground again. "Uraraka, Tsuyu!"

Perhaps it was because she was on guard, expecting more Villains to come out of the woodworks to try and rescue their comrade, that Uraraka shot her glare in the direction of Mina, giving her classmate a look like she was half prepared to slam her unconscious against a tree. When she realized whom it was, she allowed herself to relax her stiff frame, confusion quickly making its way onto her face instead. "Ashido? Where did you -" As her grip loosened absentmindedly while she addressed the newcomer, the Villain underneath Uraraka made some kind of effort to escape, wriggling in an attempt run for freedom, causing the brunette to reaffirm her grip, this time with a lot more force. "Ah! Tsuyu, grab her hands with your tongue so I can tie them up! Your wound isn't that bad, is it?!"

"I'm fine. Just give me a moment." The Frog Form Quirk use responded, reaching up to try and free her hair.

Quickly running up towards the pair of her friends, Mina found herself looking towards the Villain pinned below Uraraka's body weight, seeing a golden eye, just like her own irises, looking back up at her, and then switching between looking at Uraraka, and back to her. She couldn't be older than the students themselves. Probably younger, and just her eyes gave the acidic girl the shivers. The Villains were recruiting literal children into their ranks now?

If so, where the hell were they getting them from then? This one looked more terrifying than some of the guys back at the USJ!

"Heya, Mina! I'm Toga! You're another cute one! Is everyone in your class so sweet too?"

Mina gulped when the Villain addressed her by her first name. She didn't like it. "How the hell?…" It made her feel exposed, vulnerable, almost like she was completely naked. The only people that she ever wanted to call her by her first name were friends, family and Izuku. Having someone else that she'd never even met before using it felt completely bizarre.

"They must know our names from the Sports Festival. I think they know everyone's names." Tsuyu reported, trying to free herself from her predicament. "That means they also know our Quirks."

The pink skinned girl shook her head, trying to shake the very real crawling feeling underneath her oddly colored skin that this girl gave her, and looked towards the victorious brunette. It was impressive that she had managed to take down a Villain on her own like this. Credit had to go where credit was due in that regard, absolutely, but it wasn't the time to be dishing out compliments.

"Have either of you two seen Izuku?!"

"Deku?" This time Uraraka kept her glare straight on the Villain, apparently named Toga, not prepared to loosen her grip, or to make the same mistake two times in a row, before she gave her answer. "I haven't seen him since everything went crazy. That message Mandalay relayed was from him though, right? She said 'Kacchan', not Bakugou."

A simple nod was all the horned girl gave in response to that question. "He showed up at the lodge and ran off again! His arms were…" An actual shudder ran down Mina's spine when she thought back to how his arms were shattered, broken and bloody, like she had never seen before. She didn't even want to imagine what other madness he'd done to himself in the short time that they'd been separated, though she was almost certain that any of the explosions and blasts that she heard while running had something to do with him. "I-I've got to find him before he ends up killing himself!"

"If Mandalay is still where she was before everything went down, then he can't be far from here!"

"Ochako… You've the same scent as Mina there… And you've both got the same scent as me."

Toga, in spite of being pinned down, surrounded and outnumbered, had the slightest of blushes on her cheeks, and some sort of disturbing, small, but all the same, creepy smile. It was discomforting enough that she knew what Mina's name, but everything about this girl screamed that she was some kind of insane, unhinged, deranged psychopath.

Everything about her just freaked out Mina, and judging by the way that Uraraka had a pained expression that mirrored her own, she wasn't alone in her thinking.

What scent? What the hell was she talking about?

"Actually… Mina's scent is stronger… Both of you are in love with someone, aren't you?"

Both girls made an involuntary gasp, Mina gritting her teeth as she did so. How on earth –

"Did Mina get her man?"

"How the hell are you – "

"And both of you wanna be just like the people you like, don't you? It's okay, I can tell, from one maiden to another." Toga's grin just kept growing more and more, her eyes rolling further and further into the back of her head, apparently in some kind of ecstatic fantasy within her own brain. "Of course you do. That's natural for anyone to be like the person that they admire. There's no helping it… But eventually, it isn't enough, is it? You want to become them. It's inevitable."

"Y-You're full of crap!" Mina suddenly yelled, several beads of sweat running down from her forehead. Maybe because she was actually in a relationship, she knew what it was like to be in love. She could tell the difference between admiration and genuine feelings of infatuation. It wasn't anything like this maniac was describing. Maybe it was because she was comparing herself to them, which put her on edge. Maybe she'd gotten under her skin without her even noticing. "That's not even close to what love is you psycho! You don't even have the first clue of what you're talking about!"

"Izuku…. Izuku…." Toga repeated that word, over and over again, like she was trying to commit it to memory for future reference. "'Izuku's arms were'… Broken, hurt maybe? Sounds like my kinda guy…"

The Acid Quirk user felt her black eyes widening more and more. Was this girl some kind of Clairvoyant? Was this because of her Quirk? "That – That's – "

"You want to be just like him…. That's why your own hands are covered in scars. You want to be just as strong as him, don't you, and you're turning your own body to look just like him, aren't you?"

Once again, a shiver, far more violent and far more physically impactful, ran right up Mina's spine, making her arms and legs shake. Absently, without any input on her brain's part, her left hand came into view of her eyes, and she looked at all the scars over her pink palms and wrists. They were recent, and came from her own anger and frustration towards Bakugou, towards Izuku himself. They were just like Izuku's. Self-inflicted. A result of her Quirk.

Uncontrollable. Although the cases varied in what uncontrollable meant. In Izuku's case, it was unavoidable because of how his body just wasn't used to having a Quirk yet, never mind one that could level a building if he flicked his finger hard enough. Mina's had come instead, from an overuse, and constant attacks against rocks, venting frustration that had been building up inside her for months now…

And ever since, she had been pushing herself to the absolute limit … Because she knew that it was something that Izuku would have done.

Her hand began to shake. As did the rest of her. Uraraka didn't seem to be doing any better, gritted teeth and wide eyes, just the same as Mina.

"Sooooo, what's everyone's tyyyyype?" Toga questioned, her grin now terrifyingly large. "I'll go first – Guys battered and drenched in blood. It makes carving people up so much fun!"

"You're insane…" Uraraka managed to choke out through her clenched jaw. "You're absolutely insane…"

"Aww, don't be like that, Ochako." The Villain whined, trying to sound innocent, though still with her deranged expression etched onto her lips.

And with a single twist of her wrist, she managed to pull some sort of device from up her wrist, and jab it right into the Zero Gravity Quirk user's thigh. There was a sickening sound as her skin was pierced, and dug into her flesh. Almost instantly, Uraraka could feel her body being drained of its red fluid, and see it travel towards the psychotic Villain's equipment through the transparent tubes connecting the extractor to the neck brace.

"Good romances are so much fun!"

"Ochako!" Both Mina and Tsuyu called out at the same time. The brown eyes girl herself just seemed to flinch in pain and surprise. One of her hands rocketed off of the Villain, moving towards removing the draining device from her leg. Mina lunged at the same time, with the exact same intention, along with a plan to dissolve that entire pile of junk with her Quirk.

"Uraraka?! Ashido?!"

In that very moment though, another voice came out from behind the shrubbery, one that the three girls all recognized. Despite their predicament, both girls, mostly out of reflex rather than conscious choice, looked behind them to see that it was, in fact, Shoji, their Dupli-Arms Quirk using classmate, emerging alongside Todoroki, whom was carrying an unconscious student from 1B, whomever he was.

It took a moment, but Mina noticed that Shoji was carrying someone as well, with four of his six arms acting as a combat blanket to protect the person on his back.

Closer inspection revealed it was Izuku.

At the same time that Mina was able to identify him, he was able to identify her, poking his head up above Shoji's shoulder more to get a better look at the situation. "Mina?! Uraraka, Tsuyu?!"

Less than a second passed, before, taking advantage of the brief moment of distraction, Toga slammed her elbow into Uraraka's chest, knocking her off of the blonde girl, whom then made a sharp dart for the cover of the leaves and trees nearby.

"Ow! Damn it!"

"There's too many of you now, and I don't feel like dying." The crazy young girl flatly said, looking over her shoulder at the group of now seven Hero students. Two or three of them was apparently a manageable number for her, but now that she was outnumbered six against one, it was too much for her? She seemed to linger her gaze over the newly arrived group, for just a few seconds longer. Mina could have sworn that her cheeks went red again, before she departed. "Bye-Bye." She ran off, vanishing within seconds.

Without a trace.

Uraraka and Tsuyu occupied themselves with a discussion of if they should go after the blood stealer, Tsuyu bringing up a point that they didn't know what her Quirk was. Even though it was a Hero's duty to chase after Villains, they had only been given permission to fight to protect themselves, not go after Villains. That being said, if they left the girl alone, she could easily come back to try and attack them again, or cause trouble for someone else. Both options were potentially dangerous, with negative repercussions aplenty.

Mina didn't bother to stick around to join in or give her opinion though. To be perfectly honest, she couldn't care less about the little psycho right now. Now that she'd seen Izuku, she made a beeline straight for him, breaking into a small jog. Since Shoji was carrying him, he moved towards her at the tall boys speed, and not his own.

The two of them locked eyes. And there weren't any words vocalized by either of them. There wasn't much that they could really say to one another like this, and in this situation.

"Who was that girl?"

"A Villain. She was absolutely crazy."

"You okay, Uraraka? You're injured."

"I'm fine, Todoroki. I can still walk. What about Deku?! Are you okay?! You look like you've been through hell!"

"He was like this when I found him."

Conversations just flew past the pair of them, barely even hearing the words that their classmates were saying. The danger, the current mission, and even the maniacal girl that had been present not even two minutes ago, none of them even registered to either of them. It was just white noise, static in the background.

It didn't matter. To the two of them, right now, it didn't matter.

"…Shoji, put me down." Izuku requested, poking his head over the Dupli-arms Quirk users shoulder, hoping that doing so would make his ragged voice a bit easier for his classmate to hear.

The youngest student in Class 1A looked over to the green haired boy, his eyes showing such a genuine concern that he didn't even need the rest of his facial features to demonstrate or convey it. "Midoriya, you're still injured. You shouldn't be moving around like that."

"I'll be okay." He assured his white haired companion, though his voice sounded wheezed and strained, whilst he made a few squirming movements to get out of his grasp. "I – Me and Mina need to just talk for a second. On an even level."

Although reluctant, Shoji seemed to relent to Izuku's requests, and lowered the One For All inheritor to the ground. He stumbled for a second, seeming to struggle at getting his footing and balance back now that he was back on his own two feet, but he quickly found his equilibrium again, and the turned towards Mina. Her hair was blocking her eyes, since she was now just looking at the floor, apparently unable to even look at his injuries, sickening at they were to her.

Clearly, she was hurt. It didn't take a genius or a boyfriend to notice that she was emotionally beaten down from recent events, and Izuku was the only one here who even has an understanding as to why she was like this right now. She didn't make any effort to hide it, and it would have been a pointless thing to try and keep a secret anyway.

In truth, he had expected her to react like this. It wasn't something that he was, in all honestly, overly surprised with. With how she had broken down and begged him not to go, how she had outright pleaded with him only, at most, twenty minutes ago, and how he'd just ignored them and run off… It wasn't like he couldn't get why she was so clearly upset.

Discussion continued around them as Izuku made his way towards her, and then stood just about half a meter away from her. "What're you doing out here?" He asked, his only properly functioning eye opening up a little in anxious curiosity. "I… I thought Aizawa-sensei was going to keep you back at the lodge."

Mina didn't say anything. She didn't even look up towards him.

Hindsight told him that perhaps revealing that he as hoping that their teacher was going to keep her pinned in place while he ran off to beak more of his bones was not the thing that she needed to hear right now. His lips froze for a moment, before they moved again.

"I-I know you're… Pretty upset with me." The battered boy stated, swallowing instinctively. "I-I know you wanted me to stay back at the lodge with you… But I needed to give Mandalay that mes – "

Izuku was cut off by Mina suddenly, and without holding a single thing back, smacking him with an open palm, straight across his right cheek, a clear crack snapping throughout the air as she did so.

It echoed, and cut off every other sound around.

All other noise around them completely ceased, everyone just staring at the two of them, in utter shock.

No one moved, and no one spoke. No one even dared to blink.

For all the violence that was going down, for the invasion of the Villains, and for the absolutely grounded into dust remains of his arms, that single strike had been what had caused Izuku the most shock, and the most pain. He staggered back, in complete disbelief for at least five seconds before he even moved his eyes to look at Mina's face again.

Now she was looking at him, with tears running down her eyes and cheeks with reckless abandon. She wasn't even trying to hold back them back anymore – She knew it was an impossible task. All her fear, all her anger, and all her anxiety and frustration, all dished out into one single strike. All the things she was using to hold back the tears, no gone. All that remained was to cry.

"M…. Mina! We -"

"Do you even give a shit about me, Izuku?!" She yelled, her voice croaking and straining as she cried, but still forcing herself to speak. "Do you actually give a damn about me?!"

Those around them stood there, stunned at what they were seeing. Were it possible to give them any sort of privacy, they would have done, but here, in this situation, they couldn't. It was impossible.

Danger could still be lurking… And _now_ was the time that Mina had lost all sense of restraint?

It hadn't been Mina's plan.

She hadn't even considered this before. Had never even thought about hitting him like that. Never even dreamed about it, even in the most passing of moments. And even assuming that she did, with the danger and the threat of Villainy around them, it didn't seem like the time for it in the least…

These were fears, and points, that she had been planning on bringing up once they got home, once the camp was over. She needed to ask these questions, primarily for her own sanity. These were things that she just needed to be relieved of, the ideas destroyed in her head, and told that she was just being paranoid. For the shortest of whiles, she thought that she had gotten over them…

But it had just happened. Everything that she felt towards him was put into that one, swift strike, before she could scream at herself to stop from doing such a horrible thing to the person she adored.

Yet it was that exact same adoration that had made her do it in the first place.

This wasn't the time. She knew that it wasn't the time, in her head and her heart… What she was doing, right now, was stupid, and she couldn't have been more painfully aware of it. But she couldn't take it anymore. She just couldn't. She wasn't strong enough.

She thought that she would be strong enough to wait until they got home. She thought that she was able to just keep her emotions in check. But she wasn't. She wasn't even close to being strong enough. Combined with all the violence, the fear of the attack, their uncertain fate and the risks of everything that surrounded them… When it came to Izuku….

She was weak. She was so, so painfully weak that it felt like it was digging through her heart whenever she thought about him being in danger like this, whenever she thought about him being in pain like this. She was weak… She was so weak from fear that he'd disappear from her…

She was terrified of that becoming a reality. That one day, he'd charge headfirst into something for some stupid reason and she'd never see him again. And no matter how many dangerous situations he found himself in, he kept doing it, over and over. At this rate… It was an inevitability. One day, he was going to leave her, because he didn't know when it was smarter to leave something as it was to go back to later.

All that she could think, even with fire all around the forest, with the Villains targeting the students, and who else knew what, was that she needed to shake him, make it clear that she was this terrified about losing him…

That was why she had slapped him.

And instantly regretted it. There was nothing more than she wanted, in the very second that she did it, than to burst into tears, say she was so sorry, and beg for his forgiveness. As she looked at him, glaring through a watery filter, she felt her knees become weak and her heart feel like it had just been smashed against a rock. She wanted to say that she was so sorry….

But… That wouldn't resolve anything. Izuku wasn't going to listen to people just telling him not to charge in like a maniac. He wasn't going to listen to people to tell him to stop hurting himself in order to do anything… he wouldn't do that until it was far, far too late.

What other way was there?...

"Do you… Do you even care about what doing this does to me?..." She asked, a lot quieter this time, though with just as much emotion to her voice. "Look at yourself…. Look at your arms for God's sake, Izuku – You're going to go past a point of no return soon! Do you even think about that? Do you even think about what it'd be like for me to have to watch you break yourself until they tell you that you can't be a Hero anymore, never mind what it'll be like for you?!"

"M-Mina, We – We can talk about this later –"

"It's always later, Izuku! There won't be a later if you keep going like – "

"No, Mina, seriously – Where the hell did Kacchan go?!"

"Are you seriously thinking about Bakugou right fucking – "

"He was just with us! Tokoyami too!"

When Mina had slapped Izuku, his entire head had been knocked to the side from the kinetic force entering his skull, knocking his face to the left. When he had been looking away due to being hit, he had seen behind him.

Where Bakugou and Tokoyami were supposed to be.

Those who had arrived with Izuku suddenly froze, and all looked behind them, to find that it was just as Izuku had reported. They were gone. Vanished, without a single trace.

Even Mina, driven by emotion as she was right now, paused.

"He was…. They weren't with you guys." Uraraka stated, looking towards Izuku and Todoroki, the two people she was closest to.

The bi-hair colored boy flinched at the statement, looking towards the Zero Gravity Quirk user with burrowed eyebrows. "No, they were!"

"Okay, then where the hell are they?!"

"Looking for these two?"

From above, the group suddenly found themselves faced with yet another Villain, stood atop a tree branch, looking down upon them from behind a mast, painted with a smiling grin upon the lower half. Within his hands seemed to be two marbles, which he had on display.

"While you were both putting on a fine performance, I, Mr. Compress, have taken them, with my magic." As he spoke, the Villain held up the tiny spheres between his index finger and his thumb, taunting them with his capture. "This boy isn't a resource that belongs on the side of Heroism, so we're going to place him atop a stage where he will shine the brightest he can."

"Give him back!" Izuku yelled immediately, loud and fierce, already flaring his Quirk up, despite being in total agony and having battered his bones into complete dust. Small sparks of static flew off of his crumpled, broken husk as the power of One For All surged through him.

Thinking quickly though, Mina threw herself in front of him, to prevent him from rushing off like she knew that he would if she didn't block his path. "Izuku, no way!" She wasn't even remotely surprised. His altruistic tendencies were now reaching a point of just being outright suicidal, and there was no way that she was just going to allow him to throw himself right back into the fray. Not after what she'd just screamed at him. "You'll freaking get yourself killed!"

"Mina, move!"

"You want me to 'Give him back'?" The Villain questioned, tilting his head to the side, like he was totally confused. "Such an oddly phrased request. This boy is a person, not an object. He belongs to no one but himself, you vain child!"

A switch inside Izuku seemed like it had flipped, resulting in nothing more than his being a growling, snarling creature, filled with unbridled rage and fury. Where it even came from, Mina, nor even himself, fully understood where it came from. The true Hero in him, perhaps furious at someone being taken against their will.

Perhaps it was that part of Izuku that still, in spite of everything, still, somehow, against all logic and reason, saw Bakugou as a friend, now held hostage by the will of Villains who thought they knew him better than anyone else.

Or maybe he was just delirious at this point. Either way, that unbridled fury was there, literally crackling off of his broken body, and filling him with power.

Power Mina was determined not to let him unleash, lest he injure himself any more than he already was.

Not, for all people on this planet, Bakugou.

"Going out of his way to aggravate us…! This guy's underestimating us something fierce!" Without need for further prompt, Todoroki yelled to his comrades, warning them to "Get out of the way!", as he activated the ice side of his Quick from his right foot, instantly generating an entire ice wall, with the encapsulated the entire tree that the Masked Villain was stood atop.

With a single leap though, Todoroki's attack was completely avoided by the Villain, leaping higher atop a higher point where the Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user's ice abilities hadn't reached. Agility and speed, and movement almost like he could predict what the next attack was going to be aided him in his evasion. Once atop the tree, he balanced on his cane with a foot on that, and another on a branch below him, in a very show-off like fashion.

"All we're trying to do is make sure that you know that there aren't only single pathways for you to take in this world. Your values these days are set in stone in front of you, but there is more than that to this world." The Villain announced, like he was giving a performance to a crowd of people in front of him. "I must say though, I am proud of my own judgement. Given that young Tokoyami was able to defeat that death row inmate fellow Moonfish, he would almost certainly make a fine specimen. I thought that taking him would be a good idea, so I did just that."

Everything about that sentence made Izuku shudder. This guy had been trailing them since back when Tokoyami had been going on his rampage, and no one had even been able to notice him? How long had they been trailed by this guy?

That didn't matter now.

"You bastard…" Izuku growled quietly, his toes curling up, since his fingers could become a fist in this state. Every muscle that was still operating properly was stiffening, preparing for use.

He was now trembling out of nothing but fury and anger. Any other emotion, fear, anxiety, consideration – It was all dull, nullified by just how furious he was. Just anger or not, it existed, and as it did so, he unleashed more and more of his power throughout his body. Static electricity charges now rippled off of him more and more. To those who didn't know better, it could have easily to mistake his Quirk to be some kind of static discharge.

Green eyes now glowed a brighter green-cyan mixed color. While that was just part of his Quirk, no one had ever seen it this intense. He looked like he was ready to outright kill someone.

"Give…. Them…"

"Midoriya, calm do – !" Shoji tried to stop him.

"Izuku, wait - !" Mina tried to stop him.

But it just wasn't happening. It shouldn't have surprised her. When Izuku got something into his head, he tended to do it, no matter what anyone said. Especially when it came to someone else being in danger. He went beyond the realms of any sort of sense that applied to normal Human beings, and into the realms of a maniac, who just didn't possess the ability to think rationally. It wasn't the first time Mina questioned if he was just completely and utterly insane.

Though she feared it could end up being the last at this rate.

Utilizing the power he now had sent surging throughout himself, Izuku leaped backwards, showing off a speed and power that seemed double to what his normal five percent Full Cowl was supposedly capable of. Once back, and away from the risk of colliding with Mina when he leaped up, he charged, jumping up past the group of students, and making a beeline right for Mr. Compress at the absolute maximum speed he was capable of going without turning his legs into twisted, broken messes themselves.

Broken as he was, he wasn't even close to backing down.

" _ **Give them baaaaaack!"**_

He was fast, faster than he'd ever been before when using Full Cowl. Fast like he was when he dashed off from the lodge. Almost twice as quick. How he was even moving at this speed without turning his legs into dust, he had no idea, and he wasn't going to focus on that either, not while Bakugou and Tokoyami were still endangered.

A Hero would not back down here! And he wasn't going to either! They needed his help, so he was going to crash, break and burn to save them!

Launching towards Mr. Compress at speed, Izuku pulled his right leg around, aiming a solid roadhouse kick straight for the masked Villain's neck, planning on knocking him unconscious with a single, powerful strike. At speeds like this, and with this amount of power in him, he could put a hole in a building if he wanted to. Rational thinking, like holding back to spare the Villain's life, wasn't even in his mind anymore.

"Sorry, kids," Compress cheerfully stated, waiting until Izuku was just within a certain distance of him, before leaping away once again, managing to narrowly avoid the attack from the green haired boy, to the surprise and confusion of all of those watching. Izuku continued to fly past, landing God knew where. "But running away and lying are the only two things I'm really any good at. I don't intend to stay to fight any aspiring Heroes!"

"Deku!"

"Damn it!"

"Todoroki, can't you launch an ice attack or something?"

"I don't know where Midoriya is – If I do, I could end up hitting him!"

"Izuku!"

"Vanguard Squad – Mission complete!" Four words that made everyone's stomachs churn emerged from the masked Villain, who sounded please with himself to absolutely no end whatsoever. "We've only been on the stage for a while, but we now must close the curtains – Head to the extraction point within the next five minutes, as agreed!"

Closing the curtains….

They had achieved their objective…. So now they were making a run for it?

"No way…" Mina dejectedly whispered.

A thousand thoughts ran through their mind, and primarily, they were worried of Izuku being okay. But there was more to her thinking than just him right now. If he was as resilient as she knew he was, then he wasn't going to have let a simple miss and crash landing keep him down. He was too stubborn to even consider giving up after something like that. Right now, she was forcing herself to think about more pressing matters.

Like Bakugou.

She hated Bakugou. There wasn't any even slight misconception there – She hated him with an absolute fury, and when she had said that she'd fight him the other day, she had meant it. She would have fought the crap out of him, and had been totally prepared to do so. Had she gotten her way, she would have crushed his face between two rocks and kicked him off a cliff. That was the absolute least that he deserved after all the shit that he'd pulled over the last semester, never mind taking into account what he'd done to Izuku for years.

But this?

Hate him as she might, he was still a classmate, some he had been taken against his own will. By Villains, dangerous Villains, who had specifically targeted him out, for whatever reason. He was the linchpin to stopping whatever plan the Villains had up their sleeves. And taking that aside… As a Hero in training, what she felt about him didn't matter in the least.

Saving him was her job, as well as just the right thing to do. And even removing that, Tokoyami had been taken as well, and while she barely knew the guy, she had nothing against him. He didn't deserve this in any way whatsoever.

" _ **Rrrraaaaaaargh!"**_

Rocketing out from the treeline again, and returning with that same increased speed, Izuku charged up once again, this time, landing on top of the trees as he went. He remembered the training that he had done after returning from Gran Torino's internship, and what he'd learned from falling flat on his face – Watch where his feet were before he landed from treetop to treetop.

He wasn't done. Not even close.

Compress was fast, possibly utilizing some kind of equipment to aid him. It didn't make sense how he was as quick as he was, even if he was at the height of fitness for someone who was around his age. It wasn't because of his Quirk. That had something to do with his ability to kidnap people. At the end of the day, it didn't matter. The fact was, he was fast.

Izuku was further away, but he was slightly faster than the retreating Villain. Slightly. And thanks to that, he was gaining, at least for the moment. If he kept this speed up, he would at least be able to close the distance between himself and the Villain, if he had enough time.

Which he didn't.

It wasn't going to be fast enough to save Bakugou and Tokoyami before it was too late if he kept moving at that speed. And even if he caught up in time, what was he going to be able to do, with his arms broke, unable to move his fingers? He wouldn't be able to snatch the marbles that now contained Tokoyami and Bakugou. And even if he could, that was assuming he would be up against Compress, and just him alone. If he somehow, against all the odds of the universe, managed to catch up, he'd almost certainly then have to deal with a number of Villains, all on his own.

"After them!" Todoroki yelled, at the top of his lungs, though Mina was way ahead of them already, already sprinting down the road. "Do not let them get away!"

The path that compress was taking was within view of one of the main pathways, indicating that the Villains planned to extract within close proximity to the path of courage. It made sense, since they wanted to make a quick retreat away from the area once they had acquired their goals, and if they were all generally located within the same area, then if they moved, they would all be within reach. And he had said himself, over the communicator that every one of the Villains was supposed to meet up in five minutes, meaning he himself was within that distance. That meant that their rendezvous point had to be close. That made tracking him much easier.

Not that it made keeping up with him easier though. As was established, Compress was unusually fast, considering his Quirk couldn't be something like a Speed Enhancer – His power had somehow stored Bakugou and Fumikage within those marbles he had shown off, for whatever reason, so this was just from natural, physical or technological means.

Everyone tried to keep up by running at the absolute most that that could. With Uraraka using her Quirk to float the student from 1B to make him far easier to carry, and without Izuku to slow them down, they were moving at a fast pace, able to go at a full sprint without any restraints holding them back.

It just wasn't fast enough. Compress gained distance, and while Izuku was gaining on him, it wasn't going to be enough to reach in time.

"Damn it Izuku!..." Hissed the Acid Quirk user to herself. "If we end up surviving this, I'm gonna kill you myself!" How did he not understand the basic concept of just. Stopping. Before he broke himself beyond all repair? She was going to lecture him to utter oblivion before she was done with him.

Right now, they needed to think. What did they have to work with?

Mina's Acid Quirk. She could dissolve objects with an acidic substance, as corrosive and viscous as she wanted. She could even make weak enough that there were no acidic properties to it at all, making it a lubricant. They had Uraraka's Zero Gravity Quirk, making things unaffected by gravity when she touched them. Todoroki's Half-Cold-Half-Hot, letting him generate flames and ice from his left and right sides respectively. Tsuyu's Frog Form Quirk, giving her the many abilities of a frog, and Shoji's Dupli-Arms Quirk, which let him recreate body parts. Equipment wise, they had basically nothing, only their powers available to help them out here.

What did they have that they could use?

What could they do?

What would Izuku suggest they do in this situation?

Said reckless madman darted overhead of the group, rapidly jumping from tree to tree, trying to gain on Compress. He was moving faster than any of them on the ground, thanks to his Quirk, but he was still easily within sight.

What would he do in this situation, were he on the ground level?

What could he think up?

With what they had…

He would try and form some sort of improvised special move. Some combination of the most apparent powers that they had with them. Something that utilized everything that they had.

Clapping her hands against her cheeks, Mina rattled her brain back and forth. How could they combine this random assortment of Quirks and create anything useful? What did they have?!

Was there anything they could do?...

"…Ochako, Tsuyu, Shoji! I have an idea!"

Skidding to a halt, Mina turned on her heel and looked between the three people that she had called out. The truth was, she had no idea if this was going to work at all. This was a guess at best, and she had only a small amount of confidence in what she was thinking – But it seemed like an Izuku thing to try.

Those behind her stopped, and looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Ochako, Zero G us!" Ordered the pink girl, pulling Todoroki and Shoji together, while she stood by them herself, before she turned towards the Frog Form girl. "Tsuyu, use your lounge and throw us at that masked bastard! Izuku said that you did that back at that USJ for him. If you do that, we should be able to build up enough speed since we'll be weightless! Shoji, you grab Izuku when we fly past him – He's gonna end up hitting us otherwise. Todoroki can use his fire to propel us back on course if we need to! When we look like we're about to hit the Villains, let us fall! We'll drop down and crush them!"

"Mina, are you sure? This – "

" _This_ is the only chance we've got!" Through gritted teeth, Mina asserted her plan to those around her, even though she still wasn't entirely sure of it herself. She knew though, that if they wanted to even have a chance at saving Bakugou and Tokoyami from the Villains, and Izuku from himself, they needed to act fast, and just running towards the battlefield wasn't going to cut it. "It's this, or we might as well turn around right now!"

She was right. She knew she was right, and everyone else knew that she was right too – There wasn't any other option other than to try the sporadic and unexpected. Otherwise, they were one hundred percent going to lose the three of them. It was this, or it was nothing.

This is what Izuku would do. This was all that they could do, given their circumstances.

And in spite of any misgivings that the others had, they knew that she was right. They could try this and fail, or keep running and definitely fail. That was all that was before them, and none of them could think up a better plan. When the choice was between possible failure and certain failure…

Choice wasn't even a factor anymore.

Wrapping her tongue around the three of them, Tsuyu positioned herself for the optimal throw, while Uraraka quickly ran around in a small circle, tapping the three of them with her hands and activating her Quirk on them. Once all were done, they began to float upwards, since gravity no longer affected them.

Butterflies ran throughout Mina's stomach. Being weightless was an odd feeling, one she doubted that she'd get used to anytime soon. This wasn't anything compared to what she was about to feel, she already knew that for certain.

"All set! Tsuyu!"

"Good luck!"

Using her mutant tongue to throw them all like any other person would use their arm to pitch a baseball, the Frog girl, unhampered by the combined mass of the three, blasted all three of them towards the Villain with an incredible amount of power. Shoji was the Trojan horse and the linchpin in this scenario, due to his superior strength and height, holding tightly onto both Todoroki's and Mina's right wrists, with two of his left corresponding hands of his own while they skyrocketed towards Mr. Compress.

And towards Izuku.

He didn't seem at all aware of what the trio was doing, focusing more on zig-zagging progress towards the Villain more than anything else, ignorant to their plans. His focus was so singular that everything else around him might as well not have even existed. The only thing that reminded him of the rest of the world were his auditory senses.

Which luckily, came in use about three seconds later.

"Midoriyaaa!"

Turning his head around at the call of his name from the Dupli-Arms Quirk user, Izuku's eyes seemed to widen at the sight of the three of them charging towards him like they'd been fired straight out of a cannon , and rocketing towards him like a heat seeking missile. To put it frankly, he was stunned.

"What the – !" He let out a reflexive cry, before he was suddenly enwrapped around his waist by one of Shoji's right arms, dragging him from his leaping session, and back towards his group. "Ooof!"

"Sorry!" Apologized the six armed student. He hadn't wanted to cause Izuku any more injury, and had done his best to avoid such a scenario.

Just seeing him back close, Mina felt a huge amount of her stress relieve, even though it wasn't even close to over. Just having him back within arm's reach was comforting enough, that she could at least offer her backup without him running off on his own.

At the end of it all, a lot of her insecurity came down to that. Just being left alone.

Now they were faced with the task of reclaiming the Explosion Quirk user and the Dark Shadow Quirk user both, before the Villains made their extraction. From her place, she could see their target leaping from treetop to treetop again, though she did notice one thing.

They were lolling to the side.

"Todoroki! Course correction!" She ordered, looking towards him with a determined expression.

With a nod, Todoroki obeyed. Since they were far away from the gas clouds right now, and because if they didn't, they'd end up crashing into a tree somewhere, he was safe in doing so. From the heel of his foot, and totally destroying his converse trainer, he sent out a concentrated blast while aiming at a slight diagonal tilt, so he would center the group that was leaning towards the left, and to give them that extra boost in movement towards Mr. Compress, ever still running away.

Izuku took a second to regain his sense of reason, before he looked over towards his carrier, and yell, "What the hell is this?! You're like a flying tank!"

"This was Ashido's idea!" The white haired teenager replied, forming a mouth from the hand nearest to Izuku's ear, his primary vision squarely focused on Mr. Compress, and altering his limbs to make sure that they stayed as on target as possible. "She said it was this or nothing! Sounded like something you'd say!"

Looking towards his girlfriend on the opposing side to him, Izuku managed to give her a wide grin, not even remembering her slap from just a few minutes ago.

Right now, all he could think about was how awesome a plan this was.

"Nice one, Mina!"

Compliments from him at the current moment were both flattering and a gut wrenching punch to the stomach for the pink girl, though she knew the time for wallowing in regret could come one they were all out of this terrible situation. Without saying anything to him, she nodded at his compliment, before returning her focus to the task at hand.

Their speed was practically triple – Tsuyu's tongue, as it turned out, was ridiculously powerful, weird a sentence as it was to think. Everyone felt like they were falling, despite technically actually floating about ten meters above the ground. Right now, Izuku was the only one who actually weighed anything, and that technically was slowing them down just a bit, but they were so close and moving so fast that it basically didn't matter.

Mr. Compress was practically right in front of them by the time he himself turned around and saw them. A reflexive noise of confusion was all he managed.

Following her que to the letter, Uraraka saw that the four of them were now flying just slightly above the Villain, and doing as she had been instructed to do so, deactivated her Quirk, allowing gravity to hold dominion over them once again. As they began to fall, all of them began to cry out.

"Wooooooooooooooooooah!"

They collided with the Villain mid-air, slamming their feet into him as they all fell down towards the ground at rapid speed. For his part, Compress seemed to be totally thrown off by the sudden attack, and had made no attempts to defend himself whatsoever from the Hero cadets, either because he was so shocked he froze up, or because he hadn't had enough time to react.

Within a few seconds, they slammed straight into the ground, using the Villain as a cushion to their fall. Izuku was on top, digging both of his heels into his targets back, while Shoji and Todoroki handled the sides, Mina focused on pinning his legs down, m stamping down on his right leg with her entire body, and pinning his left to the ground with her hands.

All they needed to do was pat down this guy, grab Bakugou and Tokoyami, and run like holy hell.

"Yo, I totally know those kids! Who're they again?!"

"Twice, back up. Compress, get down."

A glance up and over the other three boys, and Mina saw the absolute last thing that she wanted to see right now.

Villains. Just their luck.

Three of them to be exact. One random guy in a jumpsuit who looked like a compete maniac who Mina hadn't ever seen before in her life, the psycho chick who had attacked Uraraka and Tsuyu not too long ago, and the worst one.

That Villain with the burn marks and the fire type Quirk. The one who kept sending out fake clones after fake clones. Easily the most dangerous right now. She could already see his outreached hand crackling and generating small flickers of fire, aimed right at the four of them, and even his own ally.

"Everyone, sides!" She yelled as loud as she could. No one else knew about this particular Villain or what kind of a Quirk that he had. No one else aside from Mina could warn the rest about this guy. They didn't know what he was capable of. "That Villain - !"

Before she could give any more of a warning though, the Fire using Villain shot off a blast of flames towards the group of Hero students, engulfing the area with a dark tinted flame. Underneath all of them, they all felt Mr. Compress suddenly disappear – Into one of the marbles that he himself had used to abduct Bakugou and Tokoyami! He could use his Quirk on himself, along with a chunk of the landscape that was underneath him, which was why the fire wielding person didn't need to worry about friendly fire! For the attacking Villain, it was now just a grouped up bunch of four kids, all in place for one single, effective, all-encompassing strike.

On a purely reflexive basis, Todoroki managed to evade the blast, moving so that his left side would be engulfed should the flames hit him, relying on his own immunity to fire to protect him from the enemy attack. Mina managed because she knew what she was doing, and what to expect from this particular person, jumping to the side and burying her face in the dirt to avoid getting singed and burned to a crisp.

Both Shoji and Izuku had been too slow, or just hadn't noticed, and were caught within the powerful blast of flame before they could make an escape.

Neither of them were totally encased, though they did both suffer from similar injury to their limbs. All of Shoji's left hands were caught in the flames, as was Izuku's right arm. Flame meeting the outer layer of skin like it did for Shoji was painful enough, as the pain receptors were overwhelmed and burned. But for Izuku when his skin had already been stripped and torn away, and the flames were now engulfing his exposed flesh?

"Gyaaaaaa!" The pair of them both let out cries of pain, Izuku's far louder than the six armed teenager.

"Izuku!" Scrambling onto her feet as quickly as she could to help him, Mina darted over with as much speed that her athletic body was going to permit. To the side, Todoroki was now engaged with one of the Villains, managing to fend him off with a wall of spiked ice. He was too far away for her to help him even if she wasn't more focused on protecting her boyfriend.

Besides, Todoroki was capable enough of looking after himself. Shoji's injuries weren't that bad in comparison – Izuku was the one who needed help.

Especially now that, when she looked back, there was that psycho girl, Toga, again, this time worryingly armed with a sharp, switchblade knife, and had knocked Izuku to the ground, whilst clambering atop him.

Knife aimed straight down.

"I've been thinking!" Squealed the young girl, with a huge grin on her face once again, thoroughly psychotic to match her mental state. "You look so much better when you're all covered in blood, Izuku!"

"Huh?!" The green haired boy seemed to react more out of instinct to that statement more than anything else. He had seen the knife, now ready to plummet into through his torso, and he was struggling, making some effort to escape. Any attempts he made were limited due to the fact that the girl attacking him had him pinned to the ground, sat on his stomach and aiming for his chest.

Acid pooled in hand, Mina charged straight for the Toga, with every intention to strike this girl straight through the neck if that was what it was going to take to get her to back off. The girl terrified Mina.

But losing Izuku terrified her far, far more than any maniac with a knife and an unstable mind-set ever could. "Get the hell away from Izuku!"

She lunged.

And was met with a knife, quickly twisted up and turned onto her instead. As her hand came closer towards the female Villain, she pointed her sharpened weapon towards Mina's incoming right hand.

Which was then thrust straight through the pink girl's palm.

"Aaaargh!" A small scream came from the Acidic girl's mouth, writhing in the pain of having a metallic object rammed right through her hand. Nothing in her life had even come close to something like this. The best way that she could even begin to describe it was like her palm had been punched, only it was sharp. The insides of her hand throbbed, and the rest of her body instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

It didn't matter that her Quirk had been active – Such speed and force had been behind that psychopaths strike that it had ended up bursting out of the back of her targets hand, right between her two middle ligaments, and narrowly missing a majorly visible vein.

Retracting her own hand rapidly, she then left the blade within Mina's palm, reaching around her waist to pull out a bigger, sharper blade that looked like it belonged in the arsenal of a butcher rather than any citizen. The blondes eyes seemed far smaller and focused than before though, killer intent honed and focused straight on the Acid Quirk User.

"Die!" Like a switch had been flipped inside Toga, she screamed at her target with such fury that it would terrify even a Pro Hero with experience in these situations. Another lunge, this time towards Mina's neck –

Was rebounded away, and the girl herself completely pushed aside by Shoji, pushing through his injuries, tossing the Villainous girl aside as far as he could. With his Quirk and physical strength, it was enough to get her away from the three of them for just enough time yell to everyone.

"Run!"

In one of his many hands, he made them clear as day.

Shoji had managed to steal the marbles from Mr. Compress, during the short time that they had him pinned to the ground. How he had done it, no one had any real idea – But he'd done it!

He'd gotten back Bakugou and Tokoyami!

"And in such a short amount of time!" Mr. Compress, despite his loss, honestly seemed to still be cheerful, like he was happy that they'd pulled one over on him. It gave him the impression of being a person who didn't work with the Villains for any sort of genuine ideology that he may have, but primarily because he actually wanted to be outdone, outclassed, and faced with odds that were stacked so heavily against him. It made it difficult for anyone there to honestly tell if they needed to be afraid of him or not. He even clapped a couple of times as he jovially congratulated the Dupli-Arm Quirk user on his theft. "It would figure that a man with six arms would be a master of patting down his targets!"

"Shoji!" Now back on his feet, Izuku looked so overjoyed at the news of their successful recovery that he could cry. A huge smile, with tears swelling in his swollen eye quickly threatening to spill out.

While the throbbing pain in her right palm was what had the majority of her focus right now, Mina couldn't stop herself from letting out a, lopsided small grin herself. A victory, an actually successful rescue of their classmates! "Way to freakin' go!"

"It's done then! Retreat!"

As cover, Todoroki unleashed another chunk of ice between himself and the one that had previously been identified as Twice, and even generating a small amount to give him a small push-away from the contradictory Villain, and then sprinting towards the rest of the group.

Everyone followed the simple command, turning heel and making a mad sprint for it, back down the way they had came. They would meet up with Tsuyu and Uraraka, cover their tracks with more and more ice pillars, and run like hell back to the lodge, where they would outnumber the Villains by a massive number. They had done it!

They were so close to total victory now!

"Thank you, Shoji!" Izuku practically said while he was practically in tears, unable to make clear his gratitude any other way in the current moment. It wasn't the time, but Izuku couldn't help himself. "Thank you!"

"Save it for later!" Mina yelled, clutching onto the wrist that was connected to the hand which still had a knife in it with her uninjured hand. "We gotta get back to safety first!"

"You idiot…"

From behind them, the Villains could be heard arguing, Compress and the black haired fire Quirk user in particular, the latter of which vocally making clear his anger at his comrade's failure to keep hold of the targets. Fire prepared itself within his right hand, while he got ready to launch another blast at the Hero students.

"Wait!" Compress suddenly commanded, blocking off his ally's way past him by holding his arm out like a barrier.

For just a second, Mina and Izuku had the same thought. And that thought was why? Why was Compress trying to prevent them from getting away?

Exactly one second later, they found out.

From the bushes surrounding them, one of the most horrifying things that either of them had ever seen, something that they had hoped never to have to lay eyes on again. A Nomu.

Izuku's eyes widened at the sight. He'd seen enough of them to know what they were capable of. Widespread destruction with the multiple Quirks that they somehow were able to hold within their bodies. Devastation, and easily they could kill people if Heroes weren't around.

Had that thing been running around the forest thing entire time?!

But it didn't click. Not just yet. To be honest, when Izuku looked towards it for the first time, he didn't fully realize what it was, needing just a few seconds for his brain to fully comprehend what it was that he was seeing, and to put together what it was linked to, before he made the realization.

The link that finally made him realize, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the link that put all the pieces together in his mind, came an instant later. A black mist, appearing out of absolutely nowhere at all, began to engulf the entire Nomu creature, whisking it away into nothingness, before it grew even larger and larger, towering over the four young Hero students, reaching at least twelve feet tall. Just a few microseconds passed.

Small streaks of golden appeared towards the top though. Izuku instantly noticed, and recognized them. He suddenly recognized the owner of this warp… Just from that small addition, he knew. "That, that warp…"

He knew who these people were, suddenly. He knew only one single person who had a Quirk like this, even close to something like this, in the entire world. And that belonged to the one who had been identified as Kurogiri, back during the USJ invasion.

The League Of Villains?! They were involved in this attack?!

Blackness suddenly cut off the route of escape for the four of them, pinning them between being teleported away to who knew where, and the fire using Villain and Mr. Compress. Given the nature of this persons Quirk, it wouldn't matter either way which way they ran, around, above, or wherever – More portals would show up to whisk them to who even knew where.

As suddenly as the giant gate before them had appeared, and just as magically appearing as the original, a number of far smaller portals began to appear next to individuals belonging to the Villains side, customized for their various sizes.

"Dabi." With that, the black haired, burnt Villain seemed to react to the commanding voices that echoed throughout the portals. "It's been five minutes since you sent your signal out. It is time for retreat."

"Grrr…." From one of the sides, Toga seemed to glare towards Mina, holding up a knife and pointing it towards her, killer intent clear in her eyes. "Don't worry, Izuku – I'll come back and stab that bitch someday soon!" She then vanished into the darkness of the portal, returning to wherever the hell it was that these people came from.

The newly dubbed Dabi seemed to glance towards one of the Portals with a mixture of annoyance, remorse, determination and confusion. "Hold on, the target's still – "

"They were so happy about saving their friends, they were going to leg it back to their friends." Compress stated mockingly, removing his facial mask and his top hat. His tone had changed slightly, towards a more sinister tone. "They can keep them if they like. As a parting gift."

Compress's words made Izuku and Mina both turn their heads back around towards him. What was he talking about? What was he saying? Why was he so pleased with himself? What was he…

"Admittedly, it's a very bad habit of mine, but you see, it's one of the first, and most obvious rules of magic and performance. "

It dawned on the pair of them suddenly. The words that he was using, the tone that he had, and the fact he was even removing the things that were protecting his identity in the first place.

No….

"If you're flaunting something…"

He then stuck his tongue out, revealing two marbles.

Which contained Tokoyami and Bakugou.

"…Then you've got something to hide."

As soon as he had finished his sentence, Compress undid his Quirk on the marbles that Shoji had within his hands – from them, nothing but branches and leaves. In other words, decoys.

Both of Awkward Energy's team members eyes widened even larger than before. "No freakin' way…" Mina quietly said, exasperated and feeling the empty crushingness in her heart. A Quirk that let him compress things into small orbs?!

"Shit!" His body moved before he could even begin to think again, Izuku was already charging straight for the Compression Quirk user, like his own life depended on it. Restriction wasn't an option anymore.

They barley even had a few seconds before Bakugou and Tokoyami were ripped away from them! They had to move right now! Everyone turned, and charged right for the portal, putting every single last shred of energy into dashing towards the Villains and saving their classmates.

Pain surged through Mina's hand as she tried to run though, the blade feeling like it was somehow slicing deeper into her flesh. She pushed on, the best she could, though she quickly fell behind the three boys, all of them in better physical condition, or, in Izuku's case, just downright crazy.

"And with that, I'm called backstage." Compress said, leaping back into the portal, taking a bow as he did so, like this were all an act to him. "You've all been so very kind, thank you, thank – "

With a lucky hit, from out of the bushes nearby, a laser suddenly blasted Mr. Compress's mask, blasting it into smithereens, and skimming against his own head, knocking him backwards ever so slightly, and tearing off parts of the balaclava he wore under the mask. The strike came literally from nowhere, brightly illuminating the field that had previously been encased in darkness.

Only later would anyone learn that it was from Aoyama's Quirk, or what it was that he was even doing there, or why he had waited until now to actually help them out.

In doing so though, he had created an opening – Reacting to the sudden strike and pain from the blast, Mr. Compress was unable to keep his jaw closed tightly enough to prevent the marbles from flying out of his mouth, and away from his reach.

A single chance to get them back presented itself to the rescue squad. A final hope that maybe, just maybe, they could still recover from this. That they could still save their classmates! Even if it was just less than a single percentage of a chance – It was still a chance!

Todoroki, Shoji, and Izuku pushed themselves beyond their physical limits, like a bull in the middle of a fight, towards their new targets. Like it had his girlfriend, sharp, immense pain suddenly shot through Izuku's body – The painkilling effect released from his brain finally starting to wear off. Pure instinct and reaction to the sudden pain caused him to slow down, just a bit, recoiling from the sudden sensation within himself.

As this happened, both the other young boys made a swipe at the two marbles, now falling back to the earth.

Shoji managed to grab one of them.

But Todoroki didn't – The one that he had been trying to grab was snatched away by the Villain Dabi returning from the portal, and stealing back one of their classmates, mere inches away from the Half-Cold-Half-Hot student's hands.

"Such a shame." Smirked the burnt Villain, looking down on the dual hair colored boy with a smug, self-satisfied grin all over his face. "Shoto Todoroki." A small chuckle to himself, combined with small turn of his head, away from his subject of mockery, took him to the Compression Quirk user. "Target acquired. Let 'em go."

The overdramatic and mocking performer of a Villain muttered something in detest of the laser that had just slammed into the side of his face, before he snapped his fingers between his middle finger and thumb. In doing so, the compression orbs that he had created were undone, releasing those who were caught within them to be released immediately with an accompanying sound. Tokoyami, whom had been caught and was within the hand of Shoji, was released, causing the boy with size arms to release him immediately, and to fall over due to the surprise and added weight to his person.

Bakugou, however, had the back of his neck covered by Dabi's hand, gripping around towards the front of his throat, leaving him defenseless. One wrong move that the Villain didn't like, and he could burn the Explosion Quirk user into nothing by dust, starting with the throat. If he wanted to get out of the horrible mess he as in alive…

Compliance right now was his only choice. That was the only explanation Izuku could even begin to think of when he saw the blond haired boy he'd known for his entire life to not even put up a single shred of resistance. He was at their mercy.

And he looked like he needed to be saved.

"All clear."

No….

No way…

No…

No…

No…

 _No!_

Static began to fly as Izuku put everything into on final attempt to reach the red eyed hostage. Nothing else mattered anymore. What Kacchan said, what those around him said, the consequences to him, or to his body. It all didn't matter anymore. He had a single goal and he needed to accomplish it no matter what, and for the first time in his life, being a Hero had nothing to do with this act of altruism. Being a Hero wasn't even remotely in his head right now. Heroes had nothing to do with this.

This was all because he was desperate to save his childhood friend, whether he wanted to be saved or not.

One For All's power began to surge throughout the green haired boy's body, filling him with raw power that he now could barely even control, pushing him, even in spite of the horrendous pain that he was being subjected to because of his overuse of the Quirk. Faster, faster than he had been capable of going before. It was all he could do. He lunged, charged, and did everything that he could.

Because he wasn't going to get another chance!

His body could rip itself to shreds! His arms and legs could rip out of their sockets! It didn't matter!

"Kacchan!"

"Stay away Deku"

" _ **Uraaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgh, Kachaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan**_!"

Just as quickly as they had opened, the final portal closed. And then silence fell upon everything. No noise. No silence, just the whir of the Warp Gate Quirk disappearing along with its user back to who knew where with who knew what. Every portal around them had disappeared with a whirring sound, becoming quieter and quieter, until they blipped out of existence altogether.

Nothingness. It was over.

They had failed.

All of the Villains had won.

Seconds passed. Just a few, but they were in total, defeating, screaming silence, while everyone just needed to comprehend what their brains were telling them just happened. The only sounds were those of the wind, and Mina's winches in pain from the blade, still located in her hand, due to her reluctance, and her knowledge, telling her not to yank it out.

No noise. No breath. No motion. Just nothingness, a simple few seconds of nothingness that felt like it lasted all eternity.

"God… Damn…" Todoroki was the first one who said anything, his eyes wide open, teeth gritted. Out of frustration, rage and fury, his left hand swung around, his flames activated around his fist as he punched the empty nothingness around him. It was the first time anyone had really, well and truly seen him lose his cool beyond all measure. He shouted and he screamed, not even trying to temper his emotions anymore. "Damn it! No! No! Fuck!"

"What just…" Tokoyami was the next one to speak, still checking over his body with his hands, to make sure that nothing had actually happened, or that Dark Shadow was about to go crazy again. As he did so though, his eyes were firmly fixated on the location that the portals had been in just seconds ago. His beak was apart, showing off his human teeth, jaw unhinged and just staring without any kind of understanding or ability to comprehend what had just happened in front of his very eyes. "No…!"

Did he regret not being able to help? Did he blame himself for what had happened, and being nothing but a burden to the group? His fists shivered, and his teeth suddenly gritted.

Shoji didn't have anything to say. His eyes were just open wide, all his limbs limp. He knelt up, from where he had fallen, and staggered onto his feet, before he lowered his head, and palmed it with one of his right hands, unable to even look at the battle site anymore. Out of shame, out of regret, and out of self-loathing.

They had lost…

Bakugou was gone.

Abducted.

Taken away by the Villains.

Every effort, every sweat, every tear, every drop of blood and shattered bone… And it had all been for nothing.

Mina felt… She couldn't really describe what it was that she felt. She thought that Bakugou was the biggest piece of shit that she'd ever met. He made some of the average Villains that could be found on the street look positively sane and Heroic by the things he did and the ways he acted. After everything that had happened, that she knew about him…

Still, she hadn't wanted… This. She hadn't wanted Bakugou to be taken like this by Villains. She hadn't wanted this to be how he got his comeuppance. This wasn't… This….

This wasn't what she had wanted.

Not this.

This wasn't what anyone had wanted.

Unfamiliar senses made their way into her body. There was some kind of empty crushingness in her heart and stomach. That was the only way she could really describe it. Like an invisible brick had just been fused with her very being. She didn't know how else to say it. How else to put it. There just wasn't another way.

Heavy emptiness. Heavy nothingness. Heavy…. Just heavy.

No one here was really friends with the guy. In fact, she could say with conviction that she thought that most people here did actually hate the scumbag. All he did was act like an entitled parasite, and yeah, his Quirk was strong, but that was all he had. He was strong by physique, and strong by Quirk. His intelligence wasn't even worth considering, since Izuku also was smart, as were Iida and Yaoyorozu, and they managed not to be complete dickheads. He was violent, anti-social and rude, making enemies wherever he went, and acting like his Quirk was what made him entitled to act this way.

Filled with a room of people who knew better, who thought better – Who were better than him, he found himself to be isolated, and with good cause, as far as Mina herself was concerned. If that was how he wanted to act, then that was fine. He deserved no more than that.

But that didn't mean they wanted… This to happen to him. No matter her hang-ups, no matter how much it frustrated her to no end that Izuku had chosen him over her tonight… No matter how much it made her angry that he was still walking around Yuuei, training to be a Hero, when he was the absolute furthest thing from a Hero, who, as far as she was concerned, should be thrown out and sent back to whatever trash of a household he came from…

She didn't want him to be taken like this. And Izuku hadn't wanted him to be taken like this either…

"Izuku…" She said, quietly, making her way over towards the scene of the battle. What more could she offer him other than sympathetic words, reassurance, and a shoulder to cry on? What more could she offer him? What more was there that any of them could even do, other than tell him that he had done the absolute best that he could, and try to get him back to the lodge so that his wounds could be treated?

There wasn't anything else to do.

"Izuku… Come on… Let's get you back to the lodge…"

Both the other teenagers looked towards her, with expressions that she couldn't read. That she didn't understand. That she didn't know why they were making. It didn't make any sense… Why were they…

Pain in Mina's hand disappeared. Blood still dripped, but she felt nothing. Her eyes widened as far as they could possibly ever go. As wide as they were ever going to go. The knife in her right hand wasn't there, as far as she was concerned. It was a non-entity. It didn't exist. It wasn't there.

It wasn't…

For his part, Todoroki looked like he himself was about to cry. He could barely even look at Mina in the face. It was the first time she'd seen some serious emotion from him since the Sports Festival. Both of his heterochromic eyes were filled with tears that he was barely even managing to keep from falling. "I'm sorry…"

"I…. Zu…"

She looked towards Shoji.

"…Ku?..."

He looked away.

"I don't…. What…"

Blood dripped from her hand.

And then a tear fell from her eye.

"Where…. Where's Izu… Ku?..."

No one knew if it was intentional or not, or if he had had some kind of plan when he had decided that this would be a good course of action. No one had known where he'd found the strength, or speed, in his condition, to do it. No one had wanted to watch it to happen. No one…. No one had expected it.

But he'd done it. Just like he always did. He always went far and beyond…

Not that it was always a good thing.

Izuku was gone. Not a trace of him left. His final leap had taken him right into the portal, along with Bakugou, and was now warped to who even knew where, for who knew what reason, in who knew what condition. He wasn't here. He wasn't a causality of this fight.

He was one of the ones taken.

"Where…. Hah….. Hah…." Mina's breath began to increase, become quicker and quicker and quicker. Her heart began to break, shattered against the curb.

He was gone.

"Izuku…"

He wasn't here…

"I….Zuku?..."

For some reason, Mina's mind flashed back to not too long ago, when she had met Izuku again. When she had slapped him like she had. She regretted it. She wanted to say sorry for it. To beg his forgiveness for it.

"Hah…. Hah…."

Was that it? He had been taken by the League…

"Hah… Hah… Hah… Hah… Hah, hah….Urr…. "

And that was how they were separated?

With her slapping him across the face? With him thinking that she hated him now? With her thinking that…. That…

"Urrrrr….."

With him thinking that she didn't know he cared?

"Ahh….."

Tears began to stream down her face as she fell onto her knees.

"Izu… ku…. Ah…. Ahh…."

"I'm sorry, Ashido." Was all Shoji could say, walking over towards her and offering her a hug, careful to avoid the knife that was still lodged inside her flesh. Only his right arms were able to be used, since the others were burned and in pain. He made up for it in how tightly he held the bewildered and shocked girl. "I'm so sorry…"

Izuku… Was gone?...

"Ahhh…. Ur… Uwa…" The worst fear she had finally had come true.

She was left on her own.

" _ **Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"**_

* * *

 **You guys wanted me to deviate from the canon – So here you go. This took a REAL long time, but I'm very happy with it. I don't really have a lot of things to say in notes other than, yeah, this is happening.**

 **Thanks to TheKingOfWinter for encouraging me to go further from the canon – and also being a MASSIVE help when it comes to planning out the piece of shit Hideout Raid arc for Awkward Energy. It's actually become something I'm looking forward to writing now.**

 **But yeah guys. I don't have anything other to say outside of, yeah.**

 **Prepare yourselves.**


	45. I Swear It

Throughout her whole life, Mina hadn't actually experienced a defeat.

Of course she hadn't always won a fight, and hadn't always passed a test. She wasn't some kind of wunderkind who was the best at everything. She'd lost at things before, all the time. Against her brothers at video Games was one of the most frequent losses, but those didn't matter to her at all, so she didn't know if she counted them. She lost against Tokoyami at the Sports Festival. She'd lost against Nedzu in the test for the end of the first Semester. She wasn't the be-all-end-all victor of everything.

She didn't always win… But that wasn't defeat. Losing and being defeated were two very difference things, she learned. Losing was just not winning. Being defeated was…

Being crushed. Feeling devastated. Like a pit of fire was stuck in her stomach, making her want to scream and cry, but only tears came out anymore. She couldn't sob anymore. Her stomach just contacted, and her lungs wouldn't do anything to allow her the simple relieving pain that was being able to openly wail. She was ashamed. Dismayed. Crushed beyond all measure. She couldn't describe it if someone tried to.

The feeling of crushing, overwhelming, absolutely devastating dismay of complete and utter defeat. There weren't enough words in any language to describe this.

Heartbreak was probably the only one that came close.

Everything had become a blur to her, and what happened around her barely even began to make even the slightest bit of sense anymore. It was just white noise next to the sheer levels of grief that she was experiencing right now. She wasn't paying any attention to it. She couldn't even move on her own, her legs too weak, and her mind practically fragmented too much in order to even come close. She was being moved, forced to walk about by Todoroki, Uraraka and Tokoyami, gently guiding her down the correct path towards the lodge again, but she didn't remember the trip. She barely remembered anything as it was happening around her. She didn't do much of anything. She just…. Was there.

She was aware that Aoyama had joined them, from his hiding spot of wherever the hell he had been, and with him, he'd brought Torru and Jirou, whom he'd been trying to protect. Shoji was carrying the pair of them, since he had the arms and physical strength to do so. Mina would normally have looked towards her friends, concerned for their safety and well being…. But she just couldn't. Her mind was a mess, unable to focus on any one thing aside from what had just gone down.

Her mind just couldn't being to make sense of it.

Izuku had been taken… And she couldn't even begin to comprehend it.

How had things ended up this way?

What the hell had just happened?

Could it have been avoided?

Why…?

…What… Was happening to Izuku right now?

Was he… Going to be okay? Or…

Why… Why had this happened…

Why…. The more times she asked that simple question, the more her tears began to spill out.

Why….

No matter how much she loved him, the fact that he just barely ever explained anything like this, or why he did it… It hurt. It hurt her so much. She didn't know what to do… She didn't know why he had left her like this… Why… Why did he do this? Why did he go through that Warp Gate, when he didn't know what would happen to him on the other side?

Why….

Nothing made sense. Nothing in her confused and distressed mind made even the slightest bit of sense right now. She couldn't understand anything anymore. Because no matter how much she tried… There wasn't an answer. There wasn't any answer that she could find… Because Izuku just couldn't tell her why he did these things…

Even if she did have an answer… She didn't think it would do her much good anyway….

It still hurt. He'd left her on her own. That wasn't ever going to not hurt…

But she just wished she knew….

* * *

Twelve hours after everything had gone down, Mina found herself in a lonely hospital room, somewhere near where the camp had been help, along with the other twenty five or so students that had been knocked out or injured in some way or another.

Not a lot of the last half a day was even in her memory. She didn't remember the ambulances arriving, being loaded into one with the rest of the injured students, or getting her wounds treated. The only reason that she knew that the knife that had been stuck in her hand was now gone was because, when she finally returned to her senses, she just happened to be staring at her hands in front of her, which were rested on her lap. Her right palm was wrapped in bandages, and she was hooked up to a saline IV that was stuck in a vein in her wrist. Perhaps because they assumed that they were from the incident also, they had wrapped up a good portion of her wrists with the bandages as well, noticing the scars that were fresh along her skin.

She didn't particularly feel much pain, at least not physically. No throbbing pain in her hands, no stinging from solution against the sensitive wounds along her wrists, a headache, or anything that someone could normally expect when they regained their senses when they found themselves in a hospital.

All she had was still that intense, burning pain in her chest and stomach, just swirling around inside her, like it were alive and looking for escape.

With her vision slightly blurred, as in her head, the events repeated of the previous night over and over again. It wouldn't matter if she wanted to remember or not. Her head was stuck into the perpetual loop of watching Izuku fight, charge, and then him escaping her field of view, not to be seen again.

Maybe not ever again.

The more and more that she thought about that actually being a possibility, the more she wanted to cry. Bakugou being alive – That was pretty much a safe bet, since the Villains had targeted him in the first place. They had made particular efforts to abduct him and take him back to wherever the hell their base was. For whatever reason it was that they wanted him, he would be left alive, and probably unharmed.

Izuku hadn't been on that agenda though. There wasn't any way to tell what they'd do with an additional person in their clutches. Not to mention, if it was the League of Villains, then that meant that Shigaraki was going to have it out for him. Specifically for him.

What he said back at the Kiyashi Ward was haunting Mina's thoughts.

' _The next time I see you, it'll be because I decided to kill you.'_

It wasn't technically Shigaraki's choice to see Izuku again in this particular instance, but was he still going to follow through with that threat? Was that how it was going to end up? Even if Shigaraki did decide against killing him…. His arms were in not fit state at all. He would easily pick up an infection….

Just thinking about it…. Over and over again… It made Mina want to just curl up and cry. To bawl her eyes out and wail as loud as she could, to just expel some of the sharp, burning pain built up inside her. Tears wouldn't come though. She'd cried so much already, her body just wasn't letting her create tears any more.

Deciding what hurt the most was impossible. Fearing for Izuku's life and safety, frustration that she couldn't do anything anymore, regret that the two had been separated right after she had slapped him… That they had ended like that. That that was going to possibly be his last memory of her…

Was that how it was going to end? Was there really any hope for him anymore…

She wanted to believe that he was okay. So desperately did she want to believe that he was okay… Never before though, had everything seemed to absolutely hopeless to her. Nothing had looked so bleak and predictable. Nothing had made her completely lose hope more in her life. All she had to cling onto were the few strands that suggested that because he was with the Explosion Quirk user, he would be spared. That because of their connection, the pair would both be allowed to live, or that they'd managed to fight their way out of that predicament.

But what were those chances really looking like?...

"Hey, Ashido. You awake?"

A few light knocks on her door made her look towards the wall where the sounds originated from. She recognized Kirishima's voice coming from the other side, muffled though it was by the wall and door that stood in his way. His mere presence here alone surprised her. She knew that he hadn't been injured during the invasion, and honestly, she did expect that he would have gotten in as much trouble as she knew she was going to be in when the police finally made their way towards her room, since he had helped her escape the lodge.

"Yeah…" She said, just loud enough that he could hear her. It was the first time she'd spoken in the last twelve hours, and the sound of her own voice surprised her. It was soft, weak, and rough all at the same time. Almost like she had caught a fever. Considering she had no idea where that knife had been before Toga had stabbed her, she may well have for all she knew.

Once he heard her response, Kirishima twisted the doorknob and gently opened the door, and made his way in. He looked just about as tired and distraught as she did, though he had maybe managed to get an hour or two of actual sleep, as opposed to drugs knocking him unconscious for operations. Todoroki was with him, following him in, and shutting the door behind the two of them once they'd entered.

Both of them didn't say a word for a short while, and neither did the injured girl. Despite fighting alongside Todoroki, and owing her ability to escape to Kirishima, she didn't really have a lot that she could think to say to them right now. What could they even say to one another? What was there?

Everyone had lost yesterday, but this wasn't something that they could just pat each other on the back and offer them good luck for the next time. That wasn't how this worked.

This was a real loss, and words weren't going to make anyone feel better here.

"…How're you feeling?" The Hardening Quirk user eventually asked, managing to force himself to look towards Mina long enough to speak to her.

For about fifteen seconds, Mina didn't answer. Any positive answer that she could give would be an outright lie, because there wasn't a single part of her that really felt even vaguely positive, or anything even resembling positivity. What she felt was nothing short of dead on her feet. Shame at herself. Resentment for her failures yesterday. There was still a part of her that still wanted to reassure the two boys in front of her though, so they wouldn't worry about her. Both of them were her friends. Kirishima, she'd known for a while, despite not being too close to him in middle school, and Todoroki, she barely knew, but they were all part of the same friend group. She did trust the pair of them explicitly.

She couldn't lie though. Even pretending that she was okay was painful. "I'm…. about as well as you'd expect, Kirishima…" She managed to look up at the pair of them by moving her pupils towards them. "….Have they?..."

"There's… No news about Midoriya, or Bakugou, no." The dyed red haired boy informed her, looking like it pained him to say as much as it pained her to hear. "Sorry…"

Nothing surprising about that, Mina knew. She allowed herself to let out a long sigh, before her head turned back to looking at her hands in front of her, and away from the two visitors in her room.

"We uh, spoke to the doctors." Kirishima continued. "They said they're gonna discharge you tomorrow morning, since your injuries aren't that bad. And we asked around… Yaoyorozu woke up a couple hours ago. She had some head trauma, so she'd been staying here… Jirou and Hagakure are still unconscious, but they should be okay… So that's good news…"

"….I hit him before everything went down."

Todoroki looked away, remembering the incident clearly, as he had witnessed it. Kirishima on the other hand, hadn't, and his own eyes became wide as she spoke, shocked at what he was hearing.

Mina didn't know why she just randomly stated that fact to him. Perhaps it was because of the immense guilt that she felt, and wanted to confess her actions to someone, anyone, who would listen to her. Because she felt like she deserved to be berated, yelled at, punished and hated for what she had done.

It was selfish, but everything about the others and their injuries had just gone in one ear and out the other for her. She knew it was selfish… But she couldn't help it. Everything was just so… So wrong that she couldn't focus on anything else.

"Before Bakugou and Tokoyami got taken… First thing I said once I found them…. I yelled at him, asked if he actually cared about me, after I hit him…. I…. I didn't… Whenever he goes into a fight without thinking, he gets so hurt… I was… I was so scared that something like this would happen someday…. I was scared that he'd leave me like this… I didn't know how else to…. To get that through too him… What else could I have done?... In that fight, what could I have done?..."

"I don't think there was anything else you could have done in that moment, Ashido." The dual hair coloured boy spoke for the first time since entering the room. "Given how everything was so hectic and that we were in the middle of a fight, I don't think that anything else would have gotten his attention."

"He still ran off though… He still charged off…. To help Bakugou of all people… He ran off to help that scumbag…" Memories of everything that her boyfriend had told her ran back into her head as she spoke. They entered uncontrollably, without her permission to even do so. Her eye trailed slowly towards Kirishima once again. "You think that he's not a bad person, Kirishima… But if you even heard of the smallest of the shit he's done to Izuku…. And he…. He…"

All strength left Mina's body, leaving her limp. Her head slumped, and all of her muscles in her forearms, legs, fingers, everything else, all just went limp at once. There wasn't any strength left in the pink girl. There was barely anything else.

"And he chose him over me… For whatever reason… He went that far to save him, after everything… And I don't know if…"

She swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat. Doing so was painful, but she forced out the deepest fear that she'd had this entire time. The thing that had kept her awake all night, and broke her heart over and over again.

The thing she blamed herself for.

"…I don't know if he did it because he hated me for hurting him…"

"A-Ashido…"

"… Did I do this?... If I hadn't hit him like that…. Would he have stayed?... Would he have listened to me?... Is this…" For the first in a few hours, a tear made its way from her dehydrated body and into her sore eyes. Just speaking about her feelings, her guilt and her pain was forcing all of her built up emotions to escape her again. Speaking became more and more difficult as she continued, but now that the avalanche of words had stared, it couldn't be stopped. "…Is this all my fault?..."

Was it all her fault? Was it her treatment of him the reason he'd tried so hard to save the person that she hated? Was it because that he felt unappreciated, uncared for, and unloved by her, that he had gone that extra mile to try to save Bakugou? Was it because of her and the way that she had treated him that he was gone now?

Had he….

Had he wanted to escape from her?...

Did any of these thoughts even make sense?... She didn't know, and her mind wouldn't focus on any single thing anymore… In her mind, everything made sense about the idea of him fleeing into the Villains Warp Gate to get away from her. Why wouldn't he want to get away?

After what she'd done….

"I don't know…. If it's my fault that he's gone now…" The tear finally escaped, running down her right cheek and down towards her chin. "I didn't…. I just wanted him to be safe… I wanted him to be okay… I didn't… I…. I didn't want him to go away… He means this entire world to me…. I don't… I don't wanna be a Hero… Not if…. Not if I have to be solo again… Not if he hates me…"Her non-injured hand moved towards her face, to cover her eyes, for all the good that it did. Her gritted teeth began to show, instinctively trying to stop her from just bursting out and breaking down into tears completely. After everything, I… I love him so much… And if he's been hurt... If he's been…. Then I – "

"If you feel that way, then let's go save him."

Once her middle schoolmate's words hit her ears, she completely froze up. Tears stopped flowing, her body stopped shaking, and her throat stopped wavering back and forth. Everything just ceased and stopped, the only thing moving being her eyes, which stop wide open.

She seriously thought, for just a moment, that Kirishima was just mocking her. That he'd just lost any semblance of patience with her, and was saying something like that to try and shut her up. Did he seriously think that if saving Izuku was an option, that she'd just be sat here right now? If she had even the first inkling of where to start, did he honestly suspect that she'd just be here right now, wrapped up in nothing but self-pity and regret?

That line of thinking was very short lived though, when she remembered that Kirishima had just as much a reason as anyone else to want to go on a rescue mission. Of everyone who had been at the lodge, he had been the one that she knew would be willing to stick his neck out, to risk everything in order to try and help his friends. He was the only one who remained steadfast in the idea of going out to join the fight, even when everyone else had backed down. He was willing to risk the wrath of the Villains, and the wrath of the Heroes, to allow her the chance to escape to try and hunt down Izuku and Bakugou. He wasn't mocking her.

He was serious… But that just caused her more confusion.

"Whuh?" The noise that she wound up making when she looked up at him again was involuntarily, but it summed up everything about her thought process that needed to be conveyed well enough.

Todoroki looked towards Kirishima, and then nodded his head gently, apparently either giving permission for the Hardening Quirk user to speak, or showing that he felt that Mina deserved to know the truth about whatever the two of them apparently knew.

Giving a nod back, Kirishima turned towards the horned girl once again. "Me and Todoroki went by Yaoyorozu's room earlier, and she was peaking to some Pros. So we listened in, and she said that she was with Awase from 1B during the attack, and that they managed to put a tracker on one of the Villains. She made a tracker and gave it to All Might…"

"I've never seen him look so grateful to someone." Commented The Half-Cold-Half-Hot boy. "Or seen him look so angry at just the mention of the League of Villains…"

Ignoring the additional inputs by Todoroki, though she knew why the world's number one Hero had reacted in such a way, Mina's eyes just became wider and wider as Kirishima spoke, almost like she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "A… A tracker? Like a GPS?"

"I guess so. She said it'd lead them straight to the Villains… So my guess is that that's where Midoriya and Bakugou are at."

"They won't kill Bakugou." With folded arms, the normally passive and unemotional teenager showed a side to him that was more emotional and caring that few in his class had actually seen before. He was showing thought and care towards both his classmates, despite one of which he had no particular relationship with at all. Considering that he was something of a loner before he became friends with Izuku, it wasn't that surprising that he cared about this so much. "They targeted him specifically, and made an effort to abduct him, so they want him alive for whatever reason. As for Midoriya…"

Hanging in the air, Todoroki couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. Bakugou was safe, that much they knew, at least when it came to him being either left alive or killed by the Villains. They needed him, wanted him, for whatever reason, but Izuku was a lot less secure.

No one could really tell what was going to happen to him. He could be okay…. Or he could already be dead. Mina had already come to these conclusions herself… But somehow hearing them from other people hurt even more. It made them become much more real than before.

"…Everyone is gonna come over tomorrow." Kirishima said, taking his rucksack off of his back and placing it by his feet. "They're coming to see Yaoyorozu, and check on Hagakure and Jirou. They're also gonna come check on you too. We talked to Yaoyorozu about it, and she said she'd let us know tomorrow… But I thought you would wanna know about that plan beforehand. We're pitching it to everyone, and we're gonna try and convince people to come with us, but me and Todoroki are going. No question. If you wanna help save Midor – "

"I'm in."

Her answer came without even the slightest bit of hesitation when she heard everything. Not a moment was wasted, and there wasn't any sort of anxiety in her voice when she agreed to go along with it.

She knew the risks. They didn't even need to be spoken. And there were lots.

The Villains could just kill them outright. It was a dangerous mission that they were considering going on.

They could be kicked straight out of Yuuei for acting on their own. Herself and Kirishima in particular were already in hot water for going against orders during the attack. This could be the final kick to their dreams as Heroes, no matter how noble or righteous their intentions had been

It could just end up being a waste of time. The plan could fail immensely, and there could be no overall gain from it.

And so many other ways that it could go horrendously for them…

But Mina didn't even slightly care.

"Without question." She said, blinking away the tears that still hung inside her eyes. With her left hand, she used the sleeve on her hospital gown to dry them as she spoke. "Just tell me when and where."

The smallest of smiles in the corner of the Hardening Quirk users lips formed. "I had a feeling you'd be up for it. It's tomorrow night. In front of the hospital. It depends on if Yaoyorozu agrees to help us… But that's the plan."

"I'm in…" The pink girl repeated, quieter this time, as she muttered to herself. Her hands turned into tight fists, clinging onto that small semblance, that small flicker of hope that Kirishima had just brought back to life for her. That small chance that they might be able to save Izuku… "Izuku…. Just hold on…"

"By the way…" As the dyed red haired teenager spoke, Mina noticed that Todoroki had made a swift exit out of the room, the door slowly closing behind him. What prompted him to do so, she didn't have even the first idea. "I uh, met your brother Micha, right?"

Mina just blinked. "What the hell was he doing here?"

"To visit you." Kirishima responded, almost amused. What else would the older Ashido be doing here? "He said that he just wanted to drop something off with you to help you out overnight… He heard about Midoriya. The news has been crazy about those two going missing, so he came down, but the police wouldn't let him in, 'cause he used his Quirk on a news reporters camera when they kept trying to interview him."

For the first time in the last twelve hours, Mina managed to let herself chuckle. Just the once, and it was soft, but it was the first time anything even close to resembling a smile was produced by her. She could see Micha doing that. He did have a particular distaste for the media after all. He'd probably do something like that in this kind of situation.

"Anyway… He saw me heading into the reception, and I supposed he just guessed that I was with Yuuei. He told me that he was your brother and that they weren't letting you in the building… So he asked me to give you this."

Kirishima reached down into the back that he had placed on the ground, and unzipped it, to rummage his hand inside and retrieve the contents that it contained. He didn't need to search for particularly long. Using his foot to hold down the bag, he pulled out a piece of clothing that Mina recognized immediately.

It was Izuku's hoodie.

Green was the primary color for the torso and chest, with two clear cut off points, which lead to black being the sole color around the arms from the shoulder down. Mina remembered him telling her that this was probably one of the few hoodies that he owned that wasn't either All Might merchandise in some way, shape or form, and was one of the only that he had personally commissioned for himself. It was only a few months old, and was one of the many gifts that his mother had gotten him when he had finally been inducted into Yuuei.

For a few seconds, though they felt like hours, she just stared at it, straight up, with wide opened eyes. How had Micha gotten his hands on that? How...

"How…. How did..."

Without saying anything, Kirishima unzipped the hoodie that he held, and made his way over to the Acidic girl. Being careful not to hit any of the surrounding equipment, he then threw the over Mina's neck, and rested it around her shoulders, styling it a bit like a cloak, or a shock blanket around his friend, trying to try to make her feel better, in whatever small way that he could.

Immediately, Mina somehow felt better.

"Your brother said that Izuku had left it behind at your house by accident. I dunno what you two were doing but…"

As tightly as her grip would allow her to, Mina clung onto the fabrics that made up the hoodie that was now wrapped around her. It was the closest thing that there was to Izuku right now…

So she clung onto it. It wasn't the same as Izuku being here right now…

But in some way, it did make her feel just a bit better. It was difficult to explain, but because she had something that belonged to him, something warm and something that made her almost feel his presence… She felt reassured in some way. She couldn't explain it.

She wouldn't ever really be able to fully explain it… But just having this here brought her some kind of comfort…. And that was enough.

"We're gonna save him, Ashido." The teenager stated. As he did so, he held his fist up, activating his Quirk all over his limb as a sign of resolution. "We're gonna save both Bakugou and Midoriya. No matter what. I swear it."

The gratitude that Mina felt in that moment... Those were the words that she had just needed to hear right now. Were she in a position to, she would have run up and hugged Kirishima, and thanked him with everything that she had. Instead, she was brought back to a weakened state, thanks to her raw, pure emotion. "Izuku…" She quietly whispered to herself, feeling tears welling up once again. "Just hold on, Izuku…"

* * *

 **Hehehe. A lot of you guys certainly weren't expecting the twist last week, so that was a lot of fun. I'm gonna be having fun with the next few chapters and the likes. I've been thinking about them for weeks, and I do honestly think that you're going to like what I have planned here. Sorry that this one came out a bit late. Uni work and other projects.**

 **So – Awkward Energy is a year old, and on that anniversary, AE reached 1000 followers…. Uh, holy fucking hell guys. Holy Damn. Thank you all so very, very much for such an amazing response – Don't worry though, we're still going full force with this story!**

 **I don't have a lot else to say, but I'd like to make a quick update to my Pat Reon – I'm not sure if this would be considered a reward, but I've decided that Pat Reon donators are allowed to commission me for no additional cost, my reason being that you're consistently supporting me, so it seems like a fair trade to me. I just wanted to let that be known.**

 **You can check out more details at my Pat Reon, QuirkQuartz, if you want more info there. Again, I must state, while I HATE having to advertise it, it is becoming a MASSIVE help in what I do. But only do it if you actually do _want_ to support me work – I can't stress enough how I only want your financial support if you want to support me through it. Link is also in my profile bio. **

**I'm having a lot of fun with writing lately. Be on the lookout for various updates. I'm gonna be busy in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoyed this angst fest, and I'll see you soon!**


	46. Game Changer

Mina had ripped out the saline from her at the hospital. She didn't need it, and she didn't want it in her veins anymore. The pain was gone, and she wanted to be able to stand up, to walk around, to try and formulate her thoughts. Walking, moving, they helped her when she needed to just think, to calm herself down, and consider what was going on around her. Pacing up and down the length of her room was the best that she could manage.

Wrapped up and wearing Izuku's jacket that Kirishima had delivered. Being surrounded by something that belonged to him, something that she associated with him, and even had traces of his scent. There was some sweat mixed in with that particular scent, but considering the things that Izuku had to do just to hone his own powers, it wasn't surprising. And Mina didn't care even the slightest bit about it. It was something familiar. It was something Izuku. It was something she latched onto.

Her belongings had been brought into the room by the nurse that was looking after her about twenty minutes ago, and with the bundle of stuff was her phone. Out of habit, she opened it up to check her messages and call history, and to see if there was anyone that was trying to get into contact with her.

The short answer was – Everyone. Just about everyone that she knew had been trying to see if she was okay.

At least two hundred messages were sent to her in the last half a day, which was, in all honesty, a pretty small number in comparison to what she was expecting. Friends, family, relatives, everyone was trying to make sure that she wasn't among the severely wounded.

Within those messages, there was a number of texts from her parents, along with about fifty missed calls from them. According to it, they wanted her to call them the second that she got the chance. They weren't going to be able to arrive to visit her, either today or the day after, since Micha had eventually been taken into police custody after trying to barge his way into the hospital and destroying a news reporters camera. Given his relation to Mina, the police seemed to be generally lenient towards him, but he was still being confined to a cell for the night. To top that off, the traffic between the stations to the hospital was ridiculously horrendous, due to the amount people in the media, or in the Hero industry trying to get to various places to deal with the situation. Police had to block off a lot of the press from the medical building, while also allowing genuine patients into the place.

The situation at Yuuei wasn't any better either, with what looked like a sea of reporters from a collective conclave of various sites and reporting networks all crowded outside demanding answers. It wasn't totally like she didn't get it. This was something that had affected Yuuei greatly – The world's number one school for training Heroes, the best on the planet, reduced to being unable to employ people who weren't even able to stop a kidnapping.

But still, she gritted her teeth just at the thought of them. "Vermin." She muttered underneath her own breath, unaware that she'd even said it until it escaped her lips. They didn't know what the attack was like. They didn't know the situation. They didn't have a clue. And while they were just trying to get a story out of it, two people were being held hostage. Two students were being held hostage, and they thought it was a good idea to try to harass the Heroes and stop them from doing their jobs?

She was quickly learning exactly where her brother's hatred of the media came from. It was pretty justifiable hatred, actually, now that she had come to experience it first-hand. While she hadn't had a particular problem with them beforehand, she now was starting to harbor a particular distaste for them.

It was endlessly frustrating. But her mind focusing was on other things. Namely Izuku, predictably enough.

Testing herself, she tried to generate a small amount of Acid from her right hand, to see if she had healed enough to start to activate her Quirk from her dominant hand once again. If she wanted to be able to contribute to the rescue, she was going to need to be at her absolute top condition. If she wasn't, then she needed to know where her limits were, and how to figure out ways around them.

Immediately, she was met with sharp, horrific pain. "Arrrrgh!" She hissed, and bit her upper lip to stifle her involuntary response. Her left hand shot straight over to her right wrist, clutching it tightly in an effort to stem the pain, if only a little bit. Every finger on her right hand shot up rigid in response to the agony.

Creating Acid in her dominant hand was a no-go. The doctors had mentioned as much, at least to Kirishima apparently, which he had relayed to her. Something about veins or arteries needing some time to heal, and that her acid would have a negative reaction should she attempt to use her Quirk in that particular area. On the bright side, she wasn't affected anywhere else. Just that particular hand.

Never had she thought that she was going to have to look for a bright side to having a knife shoved through her hand, but there it was.

So she was going to have to use her left hand if she wanted to use her Quirk at all for any form of efficient combat. Not exactly the best prospect…. But it was what she was left with, so it would have to do.

What real chance did they have at pulling off a rescue of any honest capacity? Even if they could use their Quirks to their hearts contents, it wasn't like they were going to realistically stand much chance against the Villains, was it?

Mina wasn't a strategist. She knew that when it came to making plans or anything like this, virtually everyone around her was a whole lot better than she was. She wasn't the smartest person in the world. She knew that. Her grades reflected that, and all she was going to be able to offer this rescue mission was her Quirk and her determination. These were things she was aware of, and things that didn't exactly leave her with a lot of self-esteem or confidence in herself for this mission….

But she was going. She wasn't going to just leave Izuku to the Villains. Even if the only thing that she was going to be able to do was be a decoy, she was going to contribute in some way.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to feel the warmth that came from Izuku's jacket. It was small, and it was soft… But the comfort was there. It was something she could focus on. Something she could hold onto… "Just hold on, Izu…"

It was dumb. She knew that it was kind of dumb if you looked at it a certain way. She and Izuku had only been together how long? Three months? Four or five at the most? So much had happened in such a short space of time that she honestly wasn't even sure how long it had been just off of the top of her head. Was feeling this level of care for someone that you only had a limited knowledge about, and only knew for a short time, something that was dumb? Was it over the top?...

Even if it was… She didn't care. Izuku meant everything to her. More than everything to her. More than having a Quirk. More than being a Hero.

More than even being alive herself. She adored him for every single part of him… If she'd ever made him think otherwise…

She had to go on this mission. She needed to rescue him. She needed to see him again, and completely open up to him, and say every single word that she was going to need to tell him just how much he meant to her.

Even if he didn't feel that way, to that degree, she needed to tell him that she did.

Shattering the relative calmness of her room in an instant, Mina's door was flung open, slamming against the very wall it was attached to. "Gaaah!" The pink girl jumped, shooting her eyes in the same direction, half expecting the Villains that had kidnapped her boyfriend to be charging right over to capture her as well.

It wasn't that though. It was the complete opposite.

It was Todoroki.

Still, his presence here freaked her out.

Wide eyes, mouth ajar, and with an expression that Mina couldn't even begin to place. It was rare to even see him making any kind of expression like this in the first place, which just made everything all that more unsettling. His breathing was raged, and he looked…. There wasn't really any way to describe his expression.

Other than outright disbelief.

There were seconds of total silence between the two of them, just acknowledging one another's presences, before he actually even spoke.

"Ashido!" He basically yelled, not even considering the fact he was inside a hospital, nor seeming to care. "You need to get outside, right now!"

* * *

Cold was the first thing that Izuku felt when he came to.

He was beyond freezing cold, but the area he was in wasn't made of ice. It was dark, and it felt like there was a huge icy chill that permanently was just there, against his skin, throughout his body, and reaching even his bones. A lot of him was just numb, and he wasn't sure that he felt much else. Only cold.

For the longest time, he just laid there, his eyes hardly even open, unmoving, only blinking a couple of times every minute. There was barely any real light in wherever he was, so all he knew was that he was stuck in a dark, frigid area. He attempted to move his arms, but felt only he smallest twang of pain from doing so, reminding him that yes, his arms were in fact, shattered beyond all measure. Was the cold that surrounded him numbing him from the worst of the pain that he should be feeling in this moment?

Mind and memory were lost to him, just for a short while, though it felt like an absolute eternity. When he regained the ability to re-conduct rational thought, he tried to retrace his steps. He remembered Bakugou getting kidnapped. And him jumping through the Warp Gate after him… He remembered landing on the other side of the gate, disorientated and confused, and then being slammed against a wall by the Villain who had that fire Quirk... After that, it all went blank.

Had that been what had knocked him out?

"Kacchan…" He grunted, something in his throat choking his words as he tried to make them escape his mouth. He squirmed, trying to get himself to sit upright, which he found far more troublesome than normal, since he had no unbroken arms to help him pick himself up. He remembered that, if nothing else. He remembered why he was here.

To rescue Bakugou. That was the only thing that was important right now.

"K-Kacchan…!"

"So you're finally fucking awake."

Izuku's eyes managed to shoot wide open, glancing throughout the darkness, trying to take advantage of the small glimmers of light that were present. Bakugou's voice? "Kacchan?! Kacchan, where are you?!"

"Here." To allow the green haired boy to figure out where he was, the Explosive teenager let off a very small spark within the palm of his left hand, which generated a small amount of light. It revealed a lot about him though.

He was directly opposite Izuku, only about seven meters separated the two of them from one another. For everything that had happened that Izuku remembered, the Explosion Quirk user looked relatively unharmed. Uncomfortable, yes, but he wasn't exactly hurt in any real way. What was most noticeable was how the Villains were preventing him from moving.

Restraining chains.

In reality, they were more likely to be cables, but it was difficult to tell. Whatever they were, they were attached to the walls, with cuffs around Bakugou's wrists, which prevented him from just outright running away. The solid makeup of those cables, which were probably made of steel and iron, and other durable materials that explosions just wouldn't be enough to tear apart. Along with that, he was in a chair of some kind, to which those restraints were connected to. They only covered his wrists, presumably to prevent him from using his Quirk freely.

Oddly for him, he looked calm, to a degree, anyway. He wasn't rocking and yelling and screaming, though he had probably realized that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this sort of situation by acting out. Maybe he was preserving his energy?

Regardless, Izuku felt what felt like a thousand tons being lifted off of his shoulders. The biggest fear that he had had was that his old childhood friend would have been killed or some other horrible thing would have happened to him. The Villains had clearly wanted him for some reason, what that reason was, Izuku had no idea, but he had assumed the worst in those split moments before he leapt into the Warp Gate. But he was okay.

That, right now, was the important thing, and the first thought that Izuku had in his mind. Bakugou was okay.

"Kacchan! You – _Kof! Kof_!" Without any sort of warning, Izuku then erupted into a series of nasty coughs that cut his sentence short, and knocked the air completely from his lungs. Being knocked unconscious for a while, Izuku's throat needed to readjust itself, and remove anything that had made its way in his mouth, be it dust or debris. It lasted only a few seconds, and then Izuku was able to articulate words again. "You're alright… I'm glad…"

"Fuck off." With as much venom as there normally was, but a lot more quiet than usual, Bakugou swore and cursed at Izuku in his usual fashion. Izuku could hear him growling, and, his eyes adjusting to the darkness somewhat, see the vicious glare that he was receiving from the explosive boy. "Why the fuck did you follow me? I told you to stay away!"

Any lingering doubts that Bakugou might have been hurt, hiding wounds and trying to act tough, were instantly dashed. Izuku could have honestly laughed, were they not in situation like this, that of everything right now, Bakugou's biggest concern was of his wounded pride. It was actually amusing that, instead of fearing whatever the Villains were going to do to the pair of them now, and he was currently more concerned about why Izuku had followed him.

Though looking around, trapped in mostly darkness with next to nothing else to focus on… Izuku couldn't necessarily blame him.

Still, to Izuku, that wasn't what they needed to be focused on. "Do you…. Know where we are?"

"A fucking cellar." The flat answer came from the blond haired boy, in a predictably angry fashion, before he let out a smaller sigh. "I don't know where. That Warping bastard sent us straight here, and then they shoved me into this chair."

"How… Long ago was that?"

"Half a day, maybe."

Half a day had passed since the attack on the campsite? Izuku blinked quite a few times, his mind starting to reconnect everything that had happened, organizing it all into place. Everything that had happened… Everything that had gone down…. Everyone he had left behind…

The one he left behind that he cared about so much…

"Mina…" He muttered to himself. She had to be with the others, right? If she had been taken, the she'd be here with the two of them. He knew that they had a list of some kind when they attacked. That Muscle Augmentation Quirk user had mentioned as such, but he didn't know who was on it.

Aside from himself.

Was Mina on it? And if so… Was she okay?...

…The more he thought about it though, the more he was reassured. The villains had all retreated into the Warp Gate when they showed up, and there wasn't anything that they could have done to endanger her before they left. The ones that they left behind, sure, but they all had been defeated, and if the others had taken them to be restrained, or beaten them like he had beaten Muscular, then there wouldn't be anything that they could have done to endanger anyone else. Plus, Mina's Quirk was strong, and she would be able to defend herself, even if these were real Villains. Izuku had a feeling he'd taken out one of the worst ones. The other Villains that he'd seen didn't have that outright destructive power, except for maybe that Fire Quirk user, and he was behind the warp gate when he'd leaped in. If she had been on the kill list, they had failed to actually kill her.

So she had to be with the rest of the class. Maybe even back home.

Either way, she was safe.

He let himself sigh gently. Accounting for everything, there wasn't any way that Mina should be in any danger right now... "Thank God…"

While he wanted to then try standing up, to see if he could use One For All at all in this state, and, assuming he could, see if he could break down the bars that separated him and Bakugou, he fell down at the first hurdle – Which was actually getting up.

Now that he was reoriented, he quickly realized that, similarly to Bakugou, he was restrained. One set around his chest, and another around his feet – So he couldn't venture too far from the wall, or utilize his Quirk. Since his arms were broken, getting rid of the restraint around his chest was impossible, even if he could get rid of the ones around his feet. Combined with his own weakness and numbness…

Izuku could only grit his teeth. He wasn't going to be able to just escape like that, he knew. He should have expected that it wouldn't just be that easy, but he did, for a brief second, hope that it was the case. In this state, he wasn't even certain that he could activate One For All right now. Feeling that amount of power throughout his entire battered, broken body could quite easily knock him out.

"If you're so worried about Raccoon Eyes, why did you even follow me?!" This time, Bakugou did actually yell, in the true, loud, violent fashion that he had become well known for throughout all of Yuuei. Considering that it had been mostly quiet in the space they were now confined to, it seemed just that much louder. "I didn't need your fucking help, Deku! I would've been fucking fine on my own! I don't need your shitty fucking power here!"

"…Yeah, Kacchan. I know." The green haired boy sighed. He didn't really want to even get into a fight right now, and if he was being honest… He knew that Bakugou was right.

Battered, broken, and unsure if he was even able to utilize his own powers, on top of struggling to even stay conscious, Izuku wasn't going to be much help here. This wasn't a rescue anymore, as much as it was basically offering himself up for the Villains alongside their own target. What exactly was he going to do right now? How could he hope to help Bakugou in this state?...

It had been a spur. A decision that he had made in the heat of the moment. That was all that this had been. He had run in to help because in that moment, he thought that he could do something, without considering all the other possibilities… Though even if he had…

"…But getting involved where we're not wanted… That's what Heroes are supposed to do, isn't it?" Izuku knew that, even if he knew that this was all that would have awaited him, he wouldn't be able to just abandon Bakugou. Even if he hated the Explosion Quirk user, he wouldn't have it in him to just abandon someone who needed help. Even if he wouldn't be of any use… He couldn't just leave him alone like that.

Bakugou just scoffed. "A lot of fucking good that's done us, hasn't it?"

Given their situation… Izuku wouldn't deny that he wasn't wrong. This entire mess, getting himself captured along with him… It was a mistake. He couldn't do anything to help anyone anymore.

He was just a burden…

He wasn't helping anyone…

He was just… Someone that other people had to worry about…

"…Mina…" He softly spoke to himself. Just saying her name right now filled him with a bit of comfort, a feeling of warmth, and stability. He missed her. Right now, despite the terrible mess, and how he knew that he really should be focusing on the current situation that they found themselves in, and the immediate danger that both of them faced… All he could think about was Mina.

He missed her. He knew that outright. He missed her so much right now. He wanted to know where she was, how she was, if she was okay, if her wound had been treated, and if she was…If she was angry at him. If she cared about what was happening to him right now, or if, by ignoring her the way he had, by charging ahead into this mess…. For not being able to tell her how he felt about her like she clearly wanted….

Did she hate him now?

"…Mina's gonna be pissed with us if we get back…" He said aloud, not that he was really thinking about what he was saying. The words that were in his head just spilled out of his mouth, without any real restriction.

"You should've fucking stayed with her then. That loud mouthed bitch at least has more common fucking sense than you do."

"No argument here, Kacchan…" It almost brought a small smile to Izuku's lips.

Between the two of them, Mina was the sane one. The hyperactive tricky, but affectionate and adorable girl who dragged him everywhere and forced him into awkward situations… She was the sane one out of the two of them. He was more down to earth, while Mina was so far into the clouds that she practically was in the orbit of Saturn…. But she was, out of the two of them, the smarter one. She was smarter than him.

Because she knew when it was time to just stop.

She knew when things went too far. She knew when it became too much. And she had tried to stop him from pushing himself to the point of no return… She had tried to stop him….But he hadn't listened to her. She was smarter than he was… Because she understood Izuku better than he apparently understood himself and his limits.

"…So why then?"

When he looked up, Bakugou's face was calmer again. Still not totally calm and free from rage, but he was a damn sight more relaxed than Izuku had seen him in years. He wasn't glaring. He wasn't yelling. He was just sat there. Waiting for an answer.

Maybe it was because they didn't have anything else to do. Maybe it was because, given their situation, he wanted to know more about what was making his fellow prisoner tick. Or maybe it was because he was just tired of not knowing what the fuck was going on in Izuku's head. Whatever the reason…He was just waiting. Willing to talk. Willing to have an actual conversation with Izuku. Willing to let him vent. To talk.

He would listen now. For the first time in years… He was willing to let to his former friend talk.

"Huh?" It had caught Izuku completely off guard though. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. For years, he had been conditioned never to really open his mouth around the aggressive blond. Normally, it would result in an explosion to the side of the face, and that was if he was lucky. While he wasn't as intimidated by him nowadays as he had been, he still very much was nervous when he had to be around him.

For him to just sit there and ask calmly about why he was here instead of with his girlfriend… Why he hadn't abandoned him…

It completely caught him off guard.

"You heard me." Were he able to right now, Bakugou would have shrugged. His eyes did trail away from Izuku though, looking more towards the ground. "Why go after me when your bitch was right there? You know she fucking hates me, which is fine, because I hate her. The fucking loudmouth needs to learn to mind her own business. When we get back, you know she's gonna give you shit for trying to help me. So why did you even fucking bother?"

He seemed confused. Genuinely confused, and unsure why Izuku had gone out of his way to try to help. Like he knew how he'd treated Izuku all this time. Like he understood. Like he couldn't get why Izuku would chose to save him over trying to maintain his relationship with Mina. Even if he didn't get it, or if he didn't care about Mina at all, he seemed to not know why Izuku cared about what happened to him.

"…Yeah. Mina's gonna give me hell, I know… She'd do it I did this to save anyone else, not just you…. But because it is you…" He'd never fully explained why he respected Bakugou to Mina. He'd never fully explained the extent of their relationship… To Mina, it must look like Izuku just…. He didn't even know how it would look to her. "… Yeah. She's going to be really mad…"

"Maybe she'll leave your dumb ass."

"….Maybe." At this point… Izuku wouldn't put it past her. Or blame her in the slightest.

He put her through hell. He couldn't explain why he respected the person who made his life hell. He couldn't convey how he felt for her, while she had no problems doing it at all. And he couldn't even give an answer as to why he couldn't give an answer. He couldn't even justify his silence. He couldn't…. He couldn't make her happy. He struggled to believe that he ever did make her smile sometimes, if at all.

Compared to her… Compared to anyone else…

There was nothing special about him. No reason for anyone to really care. Why Mina seemed to care about him so much… He still questioned it. He never stopped questioning it. He never knew why she loved him as much as she did…

But…

"So you're fine with that?"

"Of course I'm not!"

He suddenly yelled, surprising even himself with how loud he was. It was clear that it had caught Bakugou off guard as well, since his eyes show straight back towards his old friend, wider than he had previously been beforehand. It was one of the few times that Izuku had actually yelled like this in response to any sort of question, under any sort of circumstance that wasn't directly life threatening.

He had those thought in the back of his head. He'd always had them in the back of his head. Even when he'd been with her only a short while, he'd been thinking of these things in the deep, dark recesses of his mind. He hadn't thought about them because, he just didn't want to think about the possibilities. Those worries and feelings that… Maybe Mina would be better off without him. Maybe she would do better. Maybe she would be smart to cut things off with him…

But that didn't mean Izuku wanted her to go. That didn't mean that he wanted those things to happen. That didn't mean he was okay with that ever happening. He loved Mina. He loved her with everything that he had… Those feelings, those fears, those worries and those insecurities… They all just tumbled out now. The true extent of how he felt towards his girlfriend just came out, even without him really meaning for them to.

"I... Mina's… The best thing that's in my life right now. I didn't… Charge after you, not knowing that she wasn't going to be mad with me for it… I know that she won't be happy with me when… If, I see her again. I don't want her to… But I know that she might decide that she can't… Deal with what I put her through anymore. That would…" He choked on his words for a second, before he found himself speaking once more. "That'd… That'd kill me."

He swallowed. Just saying it… Just thinking about it hurt…. Yet…

"….But I couldn't just leave you here. Without even trying to help you fight off the Villains if we had the chance…I know how much it would hurt her… But I… I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just abandoned you here. I wouldn't be able to face her… Or anyone else… And say with a straight face that I want to be a Hero, when I let someone I could have helped right in front of me just get taken by Villains."

Silence fell, for just five seconds.

"…You're a fucking dumbass, you know that Deku?"

"Yeah… I do."

A few more seconds of silence fell between the two of them. There wasn't really a lot more that could be said on the subject right now. Bakugou didn't understand Izuku, or why he was here. He didn't understand his former friend in the slightest. Sometimes Izuku struggled to understand himself.

Though he thought to himself… Why?

It applied to a lot of things that had happened throughout his life recently. Why was he here? Why had he charged after Kacchan like this? He knew why in his head, but what had pushed him that far physically? Why…

Why couldn't he have told Mina things? Why couldn't he had told her the true extent of his feelings? He didn't know what was making him think these things right now. Maybe, deep down, he felt like this was going to be where his journey ended. That he was going to die at the hands of these Villains, and his final few hours would be spent in regret and wallowing in the things that he wished that he had done. Telling Mina that he loved her… and just how much he loved her… That was one of them.

The more he thought about it, the more he found himself wondering why. He knew the reason. At least, the emotional reason. His fear of losing her, because of how he had been conditioned throughout a huge chunk of his life. His fear of speaking up about the things he wanted, because they were always torn from him when he spoke of them.

Quirks. Heroism. Even just friends. All gone when he tried to reach for them, or talk and ask for them. And he'd found someone so dear to him, that made him feel so special, so good about himself, and who he wanted to make feel the same… Someone who made him feel like he could do anything… Someone he truly loved with all his heart… Someone he didn't want to lose. He knew why he hadn't told her….

But he questioned why he hadn't ever fought past it. Again, he knew the reason…. But he regretted it so much. He regretted not looking Mina in her eyes, and saying it out loud to her. To let her know the full extent of his feelings. To let her know just what she meant to him. To let her know how much he loved her….

To let her know just how much he was willing to give up just to be with her.

To let her know just what he was willing to do for her.

To let her know… Just what she meant to his life. And how she'd changed it. And how she'd changed not only his priorities, but he outlook on living in this super powered society on the whole.

Even if it was selfish to think like that… To want her to stay with him…

Would he ever get that chance now? Or was it too late?...

"…How're your arms?" Breaking the brief silence, Bakugou opened up conversation with an inquiry about the physical state of Izuku.

Given that his arms had been broken for half a day, and he hadn't received any sort of medical treatment, Izuku was absolutely amazed that he hadn't received an infection yet. At least, no one he could feel. The numbness from the cold had left him with a very mild immunity to the pain, but it wasn't like that was going to last forever. He couldn't even feel his fingers as he tried to move them, feeling only a dull pain as he tried to flare signals from his brain, to no real effect.

"….I'm fine." He lied. He was as far as someone could get away from being 'Fine', but it was the only word that he had to hand.

"No, you're fucking not fine at all, are you. Your arms are fucked." It wasn't a particularly special observation, since anyone with a pair of working eyes would have been able to figure it out, even if they were in a room of near total darkness, but Izuku's lie had been just as obvious. It made him wonder why he'd even bothered trying to lie about his current state.

But still... "…There's not a lot we can do about that right now, Kacchan."

"…Just get some rest. You're no fucking use to me if you're in so much pain you can't even stand up."

As soon as those words left Bakugou's mouth though, for the first time since the pair of them had been locked in this particular room, a door opened.

Light shot straight down into the upper floor, and onto both of the Yuuei students, which blinded them both temporarily. Both of them hissed as their eyes were completely stung. Neither could shield their eyes, Izuku's arms being broken, and Bakugou's restrained, so they instead just turned away, and tightly closed them, trying to wait for a few moments until they readjusted.

The mere knowledge that a Villain was now in the room with them made both of them fight through their optical discomfort to try and figure out who they were dealing with right now.

"I thought I told you that the next time I saw you, it would be because I decided to kill you. I didn't actually expect to be seeing you again so soon."

That voice, and those words… Izuku shuddered. He already knew exactly who it was.

"Tomura…. Shigaraki…"

He managed to fight through the blinding light, to see the Decay Quirk using Villain staring right at him, between two of the fingers that were covering the hand that was secured across his face. Izuku had known from the second he saw the Warp Gate that the League of Villains had been behind the attack. He'd known… But he hadn't wanted to admit it, or think that this was the case. He'd just wanted to hope, beyond all reason, that Shigaraki wasn't behind the attack.

But he was. Of course he was. Who else could have been behind this attack?

Despite his terrifying presence, and how he was quite capable of killing the pair of them just on his own whims, Shigaraki just looked between the two of them, like he was thinking up some sort of way to make the most out of having an additional hostage to the one that he had initially called to be taken.

Apparently, after a few moments, he had reached a decision.

"Tomura Shigaraki." Appearing out of nowhere, as his Quirk allowed him to do, the Villain whom possessed the Warping Quirk suddenly materialized next to the blue haired Villain, the glowing indicators of his eyes looking at his ally. "What are you…"

"Change of plans, Kurogiri. I think it's time we started a new game."

* * *

"Where?!"

There wasn't any way. This couldn't be what was happening right now. Mina's mind raced, going at around seven thousand miles an hour. She couldn't think straight, and all she could do was run, charge straight outside the hospital, and scan, desperate, in all directions. She needed to see this. To confirm it.

When Todoroki told her, she wanted to outright call him a liar. If there was one thing that she hadn't known the bi-hair colored boy of doing beforehand, it was making jokes. He wasn't that kind of person, but that was the only logical conclusion that she could come up with in her current mental state. She wanted to pin him against a wall and yell at him, demanding to know why he thought it was funny to be playing games with her like this. She wanted to scream at him, yell at him, and threaten him for trying to torment her like this.

She wanted to call out his lies…. But she could see the expression on his face.

He wasn't joking. And he was just as bewildered as she was. Todoroki, of all people, wasn't one to lie. He wasn't one to play games. And he wasn't one to say these kinds of things lightly.

If he was saying it, then it was either true, or he sincerely believed that it was true.

Within the second of realizing that the Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user wasn't lying to her, Mina had charged straight out of the hospital building at full speed, damning any rules about not running in the corridors to the wind, needing to confirm it for herself. She needed to see it with her own eyes, and she needed to know what was going on right now. She needed answers.

And she needed to see if this was real/

There was no way it was.

This couldn't be true.

It couldn't be.

There just couldn't be… Just no way.

When she actually got outside, her head practically snap back and forth, looking in every conceivable direction.

Then, she finally found what Todoroki had told her about. About twenty meters away from her. Darkness also meant that it took her a short while to make out the figures while her eyes adjusted to the sudden change from the insides of the well-lit building, to the dimly lit street lights of night-time Tokyo.

It was true.

Right there, on the streets…

It was him.

"No way…" Mina silently said to herself. There was no way in hell…. She wanted to believe that she was dreaming, that she was having some sort of horrendous nightmare that just became worse and worse as the night went on. That she'd wake up next to Izuku soon, and cry her eyes and cling onto him for the next three days straight. That there was no way that this was happening.

It couldn't be happening. There was no way that this was true… There he was.

"No… Way…"

Bakugou.

Mina wanted her eyes to be lying to her. This made absolutely no sense at all. Hadn't the Villains been chasing after Bakugou originally? Wasn't that the entire reason that assault had occurred? Hadn't he always been their target? What was he doing here?... Had he escaped?

Had he managed to run from the clutches of the Villains? Had he somehow managed to overpower them and make his escape? What battles had he been in? He was battered and bloody, and probably just on his feet through sheer determination… But there he was.

Against all logic. Against all reason. Against everything that they were supposed to know about this entire mess… There he was. Alive.

And the worst part – He was alone.

Currently, Kirishima has thrown his arms around him, since he was the closest thing the Explosion Quirk user could even call a friend, a notion which the Hardening Quirk user apparently reciprocated. Bakugou just stood there, accepting it. Be it because he was too weak to move, or because he actually appreciated the hug that he wasn't returning, Mina didn't know, or even care about.

How had he gotten back?

Why was he here?

What was going on?

Where….

Her steps towards the two of them were slow, and shaky, as she felt of knees become weaker and weaker, and that feeling in her stomach that made her way to just crawl up into a corner and fester, mixed with absolute terror and apprehension. She knew already… She knew… But….

She was still drawn towards the boy she held nothing but hatred from. Because he was the one who could provide her with answers. Answers she already could tell, she wasn't going to like… But answers she needed to hear. Things she needed to know…

"Dude, you've got no idea how worried we were about you..." Kirishima honestly seemed to be on the verge of tears, a sight that was rare for him. The capture of his friends, and his inability to do anything for them had hit him particularly hard. Be it to his pride, or because he genuinely held Bakugou in such a high regard… Mina didn't know. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

For his part, Bakugou didn't say a single word. He just stood there, and accepted what was happening to him, not even looking remotely in the direction of the dyed red-head. He didn't seem to show any sort of emotion in particular. No anger. No rage. Not even mild annoyance. And nothing on the opposite end of the spectrum either. No joy. No sadness. No regret. Nothing. He was a blank slate of flesh right now, without any way to show any sort of feeling at all. For someone who was normally emotionally constipated as it was, it wouldn't normally be anything of note… But he gave the impression of being empty. Like he didn't know what he was doing here.

Hell, no one knew what he was doing here. Or how he was even here. This felt like a mirage…. But it was real.

A single drop of blood from his forehead ran down over his left eye, which he didn't bother to remove. It almost looked like a tear of crimson had fallen from his equally red eye…

Tears being something Mina was on the verge of.

"…Where's Izuku?..."

Her question was what got Bakugou to finally notice her, his head slowly turning to look at her. He didn't say a word though. He just looked at her.

Like there weren't any words to say.

As Todoroki jogged up behind Mina, Kirishima suddenly let go of his friend, and allowed him to turn his body towards the pink girl who was questioning him. They just looked at one another, without any words exchanging between them. Mina, desperate for answers, and Bakugou, unable to give any. Anyone could feel that there was tension.

They all had the same question as Mina. No one else had asked it. No one else had been able to dare ask except for the person whom the answer meant to most to.

"H-Hey, guys, we should go inside." Kirishima suggested, wanting to disarm the tense atmosphere between the two. "We…. We gotta let the police and the Heroes know that – "

"Bakugou, where is Izuku?..."

"…" Silence. Complete silence was all that Bakugou gave in response. His eyes suddenly shifted, looking towards a crack that was in the pavement. Like he didn't know how to answer. Like he couldn't answer.

A multitude of things made Mina do what she did next.

Frustration.

Fear.

Anger.

Hate.

Sadness.

Desperation.

Apprehension.

All of it had combined into the young girls pained heart. Tears had already made their way into her eyes, and she couldn't hold them back anymore. It was too much. She needed to know. She was desperate to know. She needed to know what happened to the person that she loved.

Running towards the rediscovered Explosion Quirk user, Mina lunged, and grabbed him by the scruff of his tank top, the closest that she was going to get to being able to grab him by the collar. He had about four inches of height compared to her, but that didn't even remotely stop her from meeting him face to face, and screaming at him, tears already screeching down her cheeks.

"Where the fuck is he?!"

"How the fuck should I know?!"

Those were the first words that he had apparently spoken to anyone he had been found here, and they were crisp. They were loud. They were…. There was something about them, something that made everyone around him uneasy. Something no one was able to place.

"They just decided that they didn't fucking need me anymore, so they just fucking warped me over here! They wanted Deku's fucking special fucking Quirk instead of whatever the fuck they wanted with me!"

"Where?!"

"We were underground! I don't fucking know where!"

"You just left Izuku there?!"

"Oh yeah! I fucking left him in a separate cell against my will after I was forcibly warped here when they told me that I wasn't needed anymore. I REALLY FUCKING CHOSE TO LEAVE HIS WORTHLESS ASS BEHIND!"

Any and all strength finally left Mina's legs, and her grip on Bakugou's collar released. Instead, she just fell onto her knees, and once again, began to cry her eyes out.

Bakugou was back…

And Izuku was still gone. And now… He was completely on his own.

What was going on…

And why was Izuku still being held from her?...

* * *

 **I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. I can't even begin to tell you how much work I have these days. There's just so much and it's beyond ridiculous and I've wanted to do so much for these two and I just don't have the time or the people to create all the content that these two deserve!**

 **I've been in an oddly energetic mood lately. I put it down to being super active and interactive on Tumblr with you guys. Seriously, you should follow me on there – The number of head cannons and jokes and fun times we have is amazing. My account is QuirkQuartz, so, yeah, come join in that fun. Comics, fanfic recommendations, and reblog chains that honestly leave me in stitches laughing, as well as updates – You'll want to follow me on there to be updated about things. There may even be news of a discord soon.**

 **I'm certainly treading on holy ground in MHA here, aren't I? Don't worry, I think that you'll enjoy what I have planned. I'm honestly not entirely certain that I'll have a chapter come the weekend – I'll TRY, but work is making things very difficult. I will do my best to update all my stories, speaking of which – Immortal Hero has a new chapter, and I've started releasing an occasional story called Five Words, which you should check out because it's just be making fluff happen, and nothing else. It's a ton of fun and everyone seems to like it.**

 **But yeah – I'm still gonna do my best to keep on top of things, but don't expect the world of me – I'm just one dude here. Thanks for waiting so patiently for me, and I hope I'll see you soon. See you guys ^_^**


	47. Turmoil and Torment

Within a matter of hours, every single person who was in Class 1-A was at the hospital after Kirishima sent out a mass text relaying the news. People came practically running into the building, despite it being late at night, to see that this was a true statement, and not some cruel joke that their Hardening Quirk using friend was trying to pull on them.

Generally, people were relieved to see that Bakugou was returned, relatively unharmed, and the injuries that he did have weren't fatal in any way. Like him or hate him, Bakugou was one of the classmates of 1A. From all the various battles they had shared, a sense of camaraderie was there, even if it was strained to the breaking point a large amount of the time. No one wanted Bakugou to be hurt.

No one expect Mina, anyway.

For the longest time since she had managed to regain her composure, she had just been glaring at him, with nothing but hatred inside her. It bordered onto the territory of excessive disdain, beyond all reasonable degrees. It was unfair. Not that Villains would care. Complaining about villains doing something that was unfair was like getting mad at a baby for crying. But it didn't stop Mina. That logic couldn't stop her. Filled with grief and just the absolute torment that was this entire endeavor was too much for her. She wasn't strong enough to accept the cold, hard logical facts of the matter right now. She just couldn't.

Words just couldn't do her any sort of justice anymore. She couldn't even begin to express the misery that she was currently being forced to endure. How worthless and depressed she truly felt. How helpless that the situation was. How unfair and how cruel the world seemed right now. How just against her and Izuku everything seemed to be.

Was this what being a Hero was like? All the time? Was this the life that they had to look forward to? Was this the existence that they had to accept, to face every single day to their lives, without reprieve?

The cruel part was, was that she could deal with that. She could accept the dangers that came with Heroism. She's been prepared for those ever since she decided that she wanted to be a Hero. She'd made peace with that a long, long time ago. Anyone who wanted to be a Hero had to accept the dangers that came with the job.

But now, she could only face those realities if Izuku was by her side.

And seeing their various classmates express relief that he was okay triggered something deep inside Mina that just irritated her, angered her even, to the point where just being in the same room as the Explosion Quirk user was just making her sick. She couldn't stand him at the best of times, and right now? After everything that had gone down?...

Knowing what she knew about him, about the kind of person that he was, about what he had done to Izuku throughout the course of his life…

It broke her.

Why him?

Why was he the one they let go? He was the one that entire attack had been because of, so why had the Villains just released him like they had? Why had they released him when they went to such lengths to take him with them? Why was Izuku the one that they had kept?… Why….

Just why?

Did the universe just have it out for the two of them? Was there some sort of cosmic being that was determining that they weren't allowed to be near one another again? That she couldn't be near the boy that she loved? That she couldn't see him right now? That she couldn't just hug him as tightly as her body would let her and cry, and just say that she's sorry. Sorry for what she said. What she did. For doubting him. For…

For not being good enough.

For letting him get hurt, over and over, and not being able to do anything about it.

For not being able to help him learn to use his Quirk, to help him become the best Hero that she knew he could be.

For not being a good enough girlfriend for someone like him, who deserved better.

It all made her just want to burst into tears all over again, overwhelmed by just the sheer sadness and regret that she felt about every little interaction. Making him uncomfortable for her own amusement. Putting him on the spot when it came to him and Uraraka. Prying when he seemed to want to leave certain subjects alone. Keeping him up late at night when they first began dating. Making him worry….

All things, even if she had no control over them, or if Izuku had shown no obvious signs of discomfort… Her overthinking brain just refused to stop. Everything and anything that she could remember about the guy was all brought back up to the surface to remind her of their relationship. The relationship that she cherished so much…

Wasn't it stupid?

The time they had been dating was short… But it was hard to imagine life without him now. She wanted to be with him, even if she wasn't good enough. But wasn't that selfish?

Was is selfish to want to just be with someone that she couldn't even protect when he needed it the most? Was that selfish? Was it wrong to want to spend her life with someone, even though she hadn't ever felt love before in her entire life, and had been only been dating her boyfriend for a few months – Not even a full year? Was that fair on him?

What broke her when she thought about all of this was the fact that, when she took a second to stop and think – All she could focus on was how selfish she was being.

Where was Izuku? Was he okay? What did he want? How did he feel about all of this? And why? Here he was, kidnapped… And all that the pink girl could think about was how it was affecting her. All she could think about was how much she wanted Bakugou to be the one that was still in the clutches of the Villains. All she could think about was just how badly she wanted to hold onto Izuku, like he could make all of her problems go away just by being next to her. All she could think about was how his capture made her feel…

Not about how terrified that he had to be right now.

Her head was a jumbled mess. Nothing was coherent. Nothing made sense. Nothing…. Nothing…

Tears filled up her eyes again, and all she could do was curse at herself for being so damn weak. All she wanted was Izuku… She couldn't think about anything else anymore. Nothing made sense. Everything felt wrong.

Guilt was wrecking every sense that she had left. It was all she could feel anymore.

"Damn it…" She whispered to herself, covering her eyes with her hands to hide away the falling water. She was already so sick of crying, but it felt like it was all that she could do anymore. Until the mission started…. Until she could finally go and try to rescue Izuku….

All she could do was cry.

"Damn… It…"

* * *

It didn't take long before the police arrived to take Bakugou away, to interrogate him, to see what they could learn about the League of Villain's members, their situation, why they had attacked in the first place, and what they could possibly want with Izuku. Maybe even get information to formulate some kind of retaliation strike. Just something that might help them to figure out the situation.

Time being of the absolute essence, the officers decided to simply take him to one of the hospitals empty rooms, and question him in there, hopefully away from any prying ears that didn't respect privacy. They had declared that they would be remaining with the students until Bakugou's parents arrived from whoever the hell they were, or at least remaining on the premises, radioing information as it became available.

Most of the class has assembled into the hospital by the time this had happened, the majority having arrived within an hour or two of the mass message. They had all confirmed what Kirishima had said, and knew that he was telling the absolute truth.

Some were thankful to the point of tears, like Kirishima had been. Some were audibly relieved, letting out huge gasps of relief, while some seemed slightly more apathetic, but nonetheless thankful that the Explosion Quirk user hadn't been harmed in any sort of fatal way. For the most part of his time there, Bakugou had been deadly silent, barely even talking to anyone else while he was there.

No remarks. No explanations. No yelling and no abusive language. He was just silent, uncommenting, until the police came and took him away. It was almost like he had no idea what to say. What to think. What to do. He seemed totally alien and bewildered at his own continued existence that he was just out of words, for once in his life.

Once he'd screamed what he wanted to at a heartbroken Mina, he was just silent.

Speechless might have been a better word. Contemplating something? Considering?... It was hard to tell. Him actually being quiet always made those around him nervous. Since he was normally so loud, so angry, any time he was quiet was just a moment that made others feel anxious, almost scared outright of him. When he was yelling, he might be a bastard, but he was at least easy to understand. This was just…. Alien.

No one could blame him though. After everything that had gone down… It was natural to be shaken. Everyone had their limits and Bakugou's had finally been reached. If there was any ever doubt that Villains weren't terrifying, and that didn't help everyone come to terms with the downright horror that was the League Of Villains…

Then the person who wasn't shaken simply wasn't sane. They weren't Human.

While others congregated and engaged in conversation, regarding various opinions and expressions regarding the sudden return of their volatile member, others just remained silent. Not knowing what to say or do with this information. It had come up so unexpectedly, that a lot of people just hadn't even had time to comprehend the fact he'd ever been taken by force. Some people just hadn't come around to accepting that particular fact, and him suddenly returning just left them bewildered. and dazed.

How was someone supposed to react to this? This, this mess of a situation. This confusing matter that no one really understood. This mess that no one could make heads or tails of.

Why would the Villains just return Bakugou like they had, after launching such a thought out plan, coordinated, and executed so carefully, pushing even the Heroes to the brink… To instead chose someone who had just been taken completely by accident? Someone whom they hadn't even meant to take at all? Someone who couldn't even be further from Bakugou if they tried?

It didn't make any sense. While Izuku was admittedly strong, his determination was nothing to snuff at, and his drive to being a Hero was on that made even the professional Heroes look like they were just playing games at times. No one could even begin to claim that Izuku wasn't the kind of person who was going to make an absolutely amazing Hero. It was why, for all his awkwardness and reckless abandon, for all the oddities that made him the person that he was, everyone still had nothing but respect for him.

They couldn't be more different. And if the Villains knew that – And there was no way that they didn't… Then what was the point?

What the hell was going on? All Mina could do was just sit on the side. Thinking… Feeling… About…. Well…

She didn't know. Everything was just so jumbled, so wrong, so messed up in her head that she didn't even know where to start processing everything. It couldn't ever be a starker contrast to the person that she normally was, always so cheery and full of life. She wasn't really alive right now, she didn't feel. Too much had happened. She was so overwhelmed… She was just existing right now. She was just allowing herself to continue to exist, to pursue the only thing that was on her mind right now.

Rescuing Izuku.

Bakugou was back… Sure. But that didn't change the plan. That shouldn't change the plan. Izuku was still in danger. He was still in the clutches of the League. They still had hold of him. And they still had to rescue him. That was all that she could focus on looking forward to. Nothing else mattered in her head.

Though in her mind, she remembered everything that had happened between them…. Over and over… And over… More and more guilt washing over her… Her right hand covered her right eye, her palm covering over the entire thing, while her fingers gripped onto her forehead and into her curly hair…She was so sick of crying…

But she was just as tired of pretending to be strong. She wanted to rescue him right now… The mission wasn't until tomorrow though. Not until Yaoyorozu was recovered enough to be discharged. Not until they had pitched the idea to everyone else. Not until everything was in place…

And waiting, with this pain in her heart… That was hard.

With Bakugou returned… It was even more painful.

No matter how much she wanted to remain strong, to bottle up those feelings of immeasurable sadness, of pain, of regret, of sickness and anger towards herself… She just wasn't built for that. Hiding how she felt was one of the things she was the absolute worst at. She'd always been the worst at hiding her emotions… Usually because she always felt them so intensely.

She hated Bakugou with an intense, unbearable fury that made her physically sick to her stomach. Anytime she felt joy, she could only express it through cheer and bouncing up and down. Faced with relief from fear, she was reduced to tears… And when it came to love, for Izuku, she always felt her heart race, her world spin, and her chest flutter and hurt, but always in a good way. So when sadness and depression came…

"Ah… Ashido?..." A softly spoken voice, one Mina could barely bring herself to look the source of, even though all it would take was her just turning her head up by about twenty degrees.

She already could tell who it was, just by the way they'd so tenderly spoken her name. How softly it had been spoken, full of understanding, and regret herself. The pink girl needn't even guess. She knew instantly. "…Uraraka."

The Zero Gravity Quirk user looked down on the Acid Quirk user, wanting to find the words to offer her support. Seeing Mina like this was so alien to everyone in 1A. No one blamed her. Even to those who didn't know them well, the affection, the tender care, and unquestionable adoration that she and Izuku held for one another was undeniable. No one even had any doubts about the legitimacy of their relationship for even a second. How much they loved one another, it wasn't up for debate…

And they'd been torn apart. Uraraka had no idea how that had to feel. How did she even offer comfort to her in this situation? What did she say? What did she do?

"I... Are… Are you okay?" It was all she could think to ask. She knew that obviously she wasn't okay, but what else could she say?

Everyone was hurting. Wounded pride, the loss of a friend, and the taste of real, bitter defeat at the hands of the Villains. Their first taste of true, real loss. A loss that had consequence. A loss that had affected everyone greatly. A loss that had reminded them all of the real dangers of Heroism. That for all the romantic posture of it, all the glory and fame and fortune and respect it promised, it was a dangerous job. A brutal job. A job that literally billions people didn't fully understand the true brutality of. Everyone was licking their wounds…

But true to form, here was Izuku's best friend, trying to see, and offer help, if he friends were hurting more than she was.

Mina's eyes rolled up, to look at the brown haired girl for the first time since she had approached her. Her palm covering her right eye, her left was all she could use to see. It showed her enough.

The expression on her face showed Mina what she needed to know. That she was feeling just as much regret, as much guilt, and she blamed herself for Izuku's abduction as much as his girlfriend was blaming herself at this very moment. For agreeing to go along with the plan to catapult Mina, Shoji and Todoroki towards Izuku, and crash into the villains headfirst.

None of it was Uraraka's fault. Of course, she probably had convinced herself into thinking that it was, but none of it was even close to her fault. Her Quirk had just been a tool, as has Tsuyu's. As had Shoji's, and as had Todoroki's. But the fault was with Mina. The idea to propel everyone like that had belonged to the horned girl, and no one else. None of that was on the Zero Gravity Quirk user. That was all on Mina.

The fault rested with her. That was the fact of the matter. No one else needed to shoulder that blame. There wasn't even any blame for them to shoulder. She didn't want anyone else to feel like they were the ones at fault.

This mess was because she hadn't been strong enough. She hadn't been smart enough. Enough to stop him. To stop this all from happening. To protect him.

Instead, all she did was lash out. All she did was yell, and scream, and cry, and strike, and…

"…What would you have done?" She asked, quietly, looking at the brown eyed girl, while her own eyes were tearing up, yet again.

Her sudden question caused Uraraka to raise her eyebrows, as a mere response more than anything else. The self-condemnation that Mina had in her own voice was… Impactful. There weren't other words to describe it. Every second that passed by….

Mina was just punching herself in the gut, more and more. Falling deeper into the hell of her own making.

"Ashido?..."

Her head fell again, making her look towards her own lap, and holding her head in her hands as she spoke, quietly. "When I…. Found all of you. When I first saw Izuku… All I could think to do was… H-Hit him…" An action that she would forever regret. "Because… I was scared… I was so scared of him… Hurting himself like that again. Over and over again. What…. What happens when he goes too far and he can't come back from it?... What happens when the Villains finish him when he's like that… What…"

What happens when he was taken away from her? What was happening to him right now? What was happening…

"Why couldn't I stop it…"

"You.. You couldn't have known, Ashido. You can't blame yourself for something like this. It happened in the spur of the moment. In an instant…. I don't think anyone could have stopped it…"

"But…. I could have prevented it… If I just knew how to get through to him… If I could just…" If she could just… "…If I could have just let him know… Just how much… Just how much I love him…Just how dear he is to me… I…. Maybe… I could have stopped him…"

"…If he hadn't charged in after Bakugou like that… Then he wouldn't be Deku."

Of course he wouldn't be… Charging in like an idiot with reckless abandon… that was what made Izuku Izuku. Speeding in to save people who didn't want to be saved, or even need saving, no matter who they were, no matter what the situation… That was something that was so very Izuku. It was just one of those many, many things that made her heart melt when it came to the freckled boy… Only this time, it had reached its logical conclusion… And now he was the one who needed to be saved.

Sometimes Mina forgot that Uraraka knew him for his heroic tendencies just as much as Mina did. That she'd technically known him longer. That she understood what he was like just as much as she did. Uraraka understood.

Looking up at her friend once more, Mina repeated her question, this time through a wall of tears in her eyes. "What would you have done?..."

"…If I were in your position?" With total honesty in her voice and words, Uraraka knelt down so that she was eye level with the pink girl, and put her hands on her shoulders. Her stare became less relaxed and concerned, and turned into one that was more focused and more determined in emotion. Her eyebrows burrowed downwards, to help create this expression. "I'd tell him… Everything you told me. I'd tell him exactly how I felt… And I'd make sure that he knew. That he understood…Because after this… I'd know that there was always a chance that somewhere, somehow… That that knowledge would help him make the right choice."

Her words finally out of her system, the brown haired girl pulled the pink haired girl into a warm, comforting hug. She didn't know what else she could do for the acidic girl who almost sounded like she'd already begun to mourn the death of her boyfriend, even though they knew that he still had to be alive. She was scared, so terrified she was hardly thinking straight. Uraraka was just as scared. Everyone was scared. No one openly admitted it, but deep down, all of them were terrified at the thought of what could be happening to Izuku at this very second. They were all so scared… That a lot of them had neglected Mina altogether. The one who was suffering the most.

That was something…. That needed to change.

Mina immediately began to cling onto Uraraka, holding onto the first person whom had come up to her to hug her like this since everything had gone down. Shoji had hugged her, when everything was happening… But it wasn't like this. It hadn't been comforting. It hadn't been with a torrent of advice, from someone whom she trusted completely. It hadn't been from someone who had even a vague idea on how painful what had just happened was to her.

Uraraka was right. Mina knew she was right. She knew that every word that was being spoken to her was absolutely right… And she needed to do just that when she saw him again. If she –

No. _When_ she saw him again. There was no if about it. She was going to see him again, even if it killed her.

"Have you lost your mind, Kirishima?!"

The two girls suddenly separated, mainly out of Mina reflexively looking towards the source of the sudden, crisp, loud yell that had come undoubtedly from Iida, in full on Class President Mode at this point. Uraraka backed away a few seconds later at the sound of her friend's yelling. Being loud wasn't exactly something that was new for Iida…

But that just highlighted how bewildered, furious, worried or frustrated that he had to be right now. Surrounding the pair of them, was practically everyone else. If they had all been attracted by Iida and Kirishima's conversation or if he had called a huddle or whatever, but that wasn't relevant. Since Todoroki was stood right next to Kirishima, looking back towards Iida with an almost defensive posture, Mina didn't have a single doubt as to what Kirishima had done.

He had told him about the planned rescue. An entire day early. Since he planned to do it while everyone was here during the next day, and everyone was here a full day early, Mina should've seen this coming. He wasn't the kind of person to wait around for a more opportune time. He would lay everything bare and open at the first chance he got.

Like back at middle school.

"This is out of the question!" It was Iida's voice that rose up like this, literally bellowing at Kirishima and Todoroki for the mere suggestion. "This isn't our place to get involved! We need to leave this to the Pros!"

"We only got Bakugou back because the Villains just decided that Midoriya was more valuable!" The Hardening Quirk user was yelling in response, just as loud as Iida was, his expression pained and his voice cracking with every so often, showing just how strongly he felt about the whole affair. "I couldn't do anything when I heard they were going after my buddy! All I could do was help Ashido get away, and that didn't end up helping at all! And now Midoriya's gone! We don't know what the hell's happening to him!"

"Do you not think that everyone here is also worried sick?!"

"I know that we're all worried about him! That's exactly why we have to go!"

"Kirishima, you need to calm down… Iida's right." Kaminari was the next person to voice his opinion on the subject, though it was through gritted teeth and a glance away from the red haired boy.

He was joined by Ojiro, whom couldn't bring himself to look at the loud and desperate teenager. His tail was drooped low, laying completely on the ground behind him, with his fingers and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn't even bring himself to speak. A lot of people couldn't even bring themselves to speak.

Bakugou… He was one thing. Izuku was another.

"We can't be sure that they won't kill him." Todoroki bluntly stated. His expression was that of someone who was making himself stay calm, but was just as emotional as anyone else in the room. "We know that they had a kill list, and that some of us were on it. They took Bakugou alive, but they didn't intent to take Midoriya. Waiting on the Heroes might mean that Midoriya doesn't make it out of this mess. Kirishima and I are going. Ashido is on board as well."

Several heads turned to look towards the pink girl, whom was looking right back towards Todoroki, a particular look in her eyes that despite all her sadness and regret, was filled with determination. When she saw all those expressions and faces now looking at her, she simply nodded, confirming her involvement with the plan.

It wasn't any surprise to anyone that Mina was on board with the plan. If anything, she was the only person there whom this coming from would sound even remotely reasonable. After everything she'd gone through, and the state that everyone had seen her in, it only made sense that she'd want to go and rescue Izuku. That she'd want to go and get her boyfriend back. In her case, pride didn't have anything to do with it. She just cared about Izuku. More than anyone else in the room could even begin to compare to.

But at the same time… Her being involved sounded just as reckless as anyone else.

"You have all got you be joking!" Iida yelled again, at the top of his voice. His opposition to the plan was absolutely crystal clear, hard-lined and strict as he was. It shouldn't have come as a surprise… But considering the friendship between Iida and Izuku, a lot of people were shocked.

"Just calm down." Shoji spoke up this time, raising up his three injured left arms to block Iida from walking towards either three of the mission bound students. Iida froze in place at the sudden movement of 1A's tallest member, for a moment, seriously worried that the Dupli-Arms Quirk user would be on board. "I get it. I understand Kirshima's pain about not being able to do anything. I understand the regrets that Todoroki has about Bakugou getting abducted right in front of us. I can't say I understand how Ashido feels, but I can only imagine… But I know that I regret everything that happened too. But… We cannot let our emotions get the best of us."

Speaking up for the first time himself, amidst a flurry of shaking, Aoyama voiced his agreement with his classmates. "We should just leave it to All Might…. Besides… We're not allowed to fight anymore… We did everything that we could."

"He's right." Fumikage this time. "I'm not one to talk… I ended up being saved myself… But he is right."

"But…. But this is Deku we're talking about!..."

Eyes then all fell onto Uraraka, whom took a step forward away from Mina to make her own voice heard. While she wasn't sure which side of the fence she was on herself, she understood both sides of the argument… And was gutted beyond words that the conversation seemed heavily in favor of simply leaving Izuku at the mercy of the Villains while the Heroes made their plans. It almost seemed wrong.

Shouldn't there at least be more of a debate on this?

"Is there even anything we could do?..." Mineta's fists were firmly by his side, though he wasn't able to look at anyone. His reputation of being little more but a self-interested slacker put aside, he still cared about what was happening. Izuku was still his friend…. But he couldn't even begin to think of a way that they could start to help him.

They had a tracking device… But what good would that do if they didn't have a plan? If they didn't have some sort of way to actually save the guy?

"This is the League Of Villains we're talking about here…" The Pop-Off Quirk user was notably terrified of the particular group, so it had to be taken into account that he could just be downright scared… "…If we went and helped Midoriya, what would we be able to actually do against them?" …But his points were valid.

"Mineta's correct." Tsuyu chimed in. though her voice was filled with just as much concern as anyone else's. Her finger made its way towards her lower lip, as was habitual of her. "All of us are still in shock over everything that's happened… Loosing Bakugou, and now Midoriya… Getting Bakugou back like this… But still not knowing what's happening with Midoriya… We're all still unsure about everything... But we have to think about this calmly. I want to go save him just as much as anyone... But if we start another fight and break the law…. Then we aren't any better than the Villains."

Silence quickly then fell on the group of Hero students. Everyone knew that Tsuyu was right. Iida was right. Bakugou was one thing, but this was Izuku they were talking about. Izuku, the one that everyone, even if they didn't speak to him regularly, respected the hell out of. No one had any problems with him in any way. And everyone regretted him being taken the way that he had. Everyone wanted to help…

But it was true. If they went off on their own… Then they were basically Vigilantes at that point. And from that point, they would be acting as Villains.

What hurt was that most of them knew that Izuku wouldn't be the kind of person to say this about any one of them. If it was anyone else in his position, and he was there right now, he'd want to charge right after them. He wouldn't even hesitate. The laws and Heroes be damned. Even if he knew what he was doing was completely wrong in so many ways… He just wouldn't let those things get in his way.

He'd save them. And they were just saying that it going after him would be immoral. It made them all feel dirty. Like they were hypocritical about the entire situation…

No one wanted to say no… But…

"…So we just leave him for the Villains then?"

All eyes then fell onto the pink girl, who was hiding her own dark eyes with her hair. Her teeth were bare, and her fists with firmly clenched. They were shaking. In fact, her entire body was shaking uncontrollably, without any sort of reservation at all. Thanks to her pink hair covering her eyes, no one could entirely make out the expression that she had on her face….

Yet her voice, and the trembling… They conveyed it well enough.

"Mineta… The only reason that you're even alive right now is because Izuku saved you and Tsuyu during the USJ invasion."

He froze up. "I-I know that – "

"Shoji. Fumikage. Todoroki told me what happened. The only reason that you two were able to get out of that horrible mess was because Izuku was able to come up with a plan to save you both before you ended up killing each other."

"Ashido – "

"Kaminari. We both came dead last in the entire class… But Izuku never treated either of us like idiots. He tutored me and he would have helped you if you'd asked."

"…"

"He took on that Brainwashing dude and fought in your honor, Ojiro. He showed you nothing but respect that you haven't earned, Aoyama. He's half the reason you're alive as well, Tsuyu…"

When she finally looked up, it was Iida that she made eye contact with, and finally revealed the expression that she had been hiding away.

Fury. Downright fury, mixed in with tears that were streaming down her cheeks as her voice trembled up and down. Tears of sadness, betrayal, and outright heartbreak that everyone was this prepared to abandon Izuku. That they were downright this ready to just leave him in the hands of the Villains! After everything that he'd done…. After everything that he was…

"….And he's supposed to be your friend, Iida! What happened to that?! You're that in favour of leaving him for the Villains to do whatever they want to him?!"

"Do you not think I'm terrified about Midoriya's fate?!"

"You're not doing anything that even suggests that you are!" Mina shrieked at him, tears running all down her face. She was a mess, but holding back these feelings was never something that Mina was good at. "How long do you think it's going to take the Heroes to figure out some kind of plan?! How long do you think it'll take them to get warrants to actually raid the place Yao-Momo's tracker will take them to?! How long do we wait for the Pros to finally do their jobs?!" Her voice broke, making her feel like she were about to throw up before she continued. "How…. How long do you think he'll've been a corpse for by the time the Heroes get a move on?! At least Kirishima and Todoroki are making sense! At least they actually care!"

She did a sweeping scan of the entire look, looking at every single person who spoke against going to save her boyfriend. She was angry, emotions running wild. She wouldn't have ever done this in any stable frame of mind, but her voice now demanded to be heard. And heard it would be, even if it was through an angry girls open sobs.

"Forget being Heroes! Forget all of that – _What the fuck sort of friends even are you people!?_ "

"She's right."

The addition of the newest voice in the conversation was one that no one expected. The words that came out were not at all the ones that anyone would have predicted. The person who they came from… No one would have ever suspected.

Bakugou. He was stood just at the end of the corridor that made its way into the room everyone was stood in, his hands shoved into his pockets and his glare lacking any sort of malice. Calling it a glare was actually being pretty harsh, in actuality. He actually looked calm for once in his life, like he wasn't about to start flipping out and shrieking at the first person that he saw. The tone of his voice expressed something less along the lines of fury, and more along the lines of apathetic empathy.

Everything went completely silent as all eyes fell onto Bakugou, looking at him like he were a totally different person. The majority of them had to take a few moments to themselves, to confirm that they had actually just heard what he had said.

"…What?" Kaminari was the first one who broken the silence, with a noise of utter confusion. One of his eyebrows was quirked up while the other was burrowed into his brow, as deep as it could physically get.

"I said she's right." Bakugou repeated again, taking a couple of slow steps towards the large group. His hair hid his eyes slightly as his head tilted down slightly, though he kept an eye on everyone in front of him. "The Pro's aren't gonna find this place before they're done with Deku. They already got what they wanted from him when they warped me back."

He left his sentence to ominously hang. They had finished with whatever they had wanted with Izuku? What was that? What did that even mean?...

Turning his head to Kirishima, Bakugou spoke again. "You're basically looking for volunteers, aren't you? I'm in."

Everyone just stopped what they were doing. Even breathing and blinking were put onto hold while everyone questioned – Bakugou had just said that, right? This was Bakugou they were talking about – Even if they removed him being kidnapped from the equation entirely – They were still talking about the same person, right?

His red eyes didn't show any signs of falter whatsoever though. He was serious. Completely serious, without restriction. There didn't seem to be an anger about his offer either. No disgust that he was 'lowering' himself to rescuing Izuku. Not even like he saw that it was a sense of duty since they had been held together in the same cell.

Whatever the reason may be, he was serious. He was offering to help, and he had every intention on helping.

"Wait, what?" The Hardening Quirk user's eyes widened in shock, and complete disbelief. It was a totally bizarre moment for Kirishima, torn between being immensely grateful for, so far, the only other offer of assistance from anyone else, and complete and utter bewilderment that of everyone there, it was Bakugou who was offering to help. "You, _you_ of all people, want to go rescue Midoriya?"

Bakugou simply nodded. "We're not Heroes if we abandon him. That's as simple as it gets."

"Have you lost your mind?!" Iida yelled again, sounding desperate this time more than anything. One by one, his classmates were going to go out on this reckless suicide mission, and he was powerless to prevent it – Were they even listening to him?! "Stop being foolish! You were just returned! The police and Heroes will want to continue questioning you – You could have information vital to rescuing Midoiya, and you might have injuries that –"

"They're going to need my Quirk to even stand a fucking chance. They aren't going to listen to you, Iida. Do you want them to have a chance, or do you want them to go without a prayer in hell of even getting out of that mess alive?"

"No way."

It had started out as a whisper, the second that the offer to help had left the Explosion Quirk users lips, and Mina had repeated it, over and over again, until it reached speaking volume, and everyone could hear her. People turned towards her while she wiped the tears from her eyes, and glared down Bakugou like her expressions could put a knife through his throat.

Kirishima looked worried in particular, knowing full well the extent of her hatred towards the liberated blond. "Ashido, hang on - "

"No." Special emphasis was put onto every single vowel that Mina spoke, like they were verbal knives being sharpened up and ready for use. There wasn't a single person in the foyer that wasn't downright scared of her in that moment. Every single trace of the peppy girl they all were familiar with was gone. All that was there now was anger. Regret. Sadness and fury. And right now, hatred the likes of which 1A had never seen on anyone's face before. "Way. _You_ are _not_ coming with us."

There was no return glare from Bakugou. No equal amounts of hate and anger that his eyes conveyed alone. No bloodlust or rage against the pink girl. Nothing like that. He just looked her in the eyes. But there wasn't any real emotion in his own.

Stepping around Kirishima to better put himself between the line of sight between her and Bakugou, Todoroki held one of his hands up like he was half surrendering, and tried to talk ."Ashido, we don't – "

"I said there's _no way in_ _ **hell!**_ _"_ Mina suddenly flung her arms like she were throwing aside the mere idea itself with her hands, and let out the loudest bellow she had ever managed at any point in her entire life. Those around her could swear that they could physically feel the sheer levels of rage that Mina emitted, and most, if not all of them, took a few steps away from her, genuinely worried that she was on the cusp of snapping entirely. "I don't want you anywhere near during this entire mission! You don't have the right! You don't get the right to act like you care! To act like a Hero now! You don't have the fucking right!"

"Ashido! Calm down!" Kirishima found himself having to yell at the Acid Quirk user to even make himself heard over her yelling. "What's wrong with you?! You just railed on everyone else for not helping! What the hell – "

"I am not letting some bully who taunted Izuku think he can get a free pass by helping Izuku now! That's way too little, way too God damn late! He doesn't have the right anymore!" Restraint. Secrecy. Promises that she'd made to keep quiet about this to Izuku. They were all out the window now, all tossed aside as Mina found herself more and more furious. "Do you even know half the shit he's done to Izuku?! Has he even mentioned a fucking word of it to anyone here?!"

A pause as her words hit everyone. Her eyes had only been dried a few seconds ago, but they were already spilling out tears again like a waterfall. She didn't have a single problem with speaking this time though.

This had been a long time coming.

Through gritted teeth, and short, quickened breaths, before Bakugou could even raise his voice in any kind of protest, Mina spoke again. "Treating him like crap throughout the entire year… Acting like he's personally wronged him… Being so violent with him... Did you all honestly think that it was some kind of game between the two of them?!" Several students eyes widened as Mina's words clicked in. Like they'd only just put the pieces together. Like they'd been willingly ignorant…

Because there was no way someone who wanted to be a Hero would ever do something like that. At least not in their heads.

"He's a bully! That's all that Bakugou is! He's a fucking bully, and that's the end of it!" She was practically screaming out loud at this point. Even some of the doctors whom had been in the other rooms at the time were now congregating to see what the hell all the noise was about. Mina felt awful for breaking her vows to Izuku, to keeping quiet because, for some reason, Izuku still wanted to have faith that someone like Bakugou could be a Hero….

But she couldn't do it anymore. Everything piled together – She couldn't do it anymore! She just couldn't! It was swirl of the moment, and barely had a thing to do with her not wanting Bakugou on the mission anymore – But she couldn't help it! Everything was killing her on the inside, and all she could think to do was scream as loud as she could!

"The taunting never even stopped! It's been going on in front of every one of us! And the only reason no one ever questioned it was because Izuku is such a good _God damn stupid fucking altruist_ that he never reported any of it! The only reason he's even here is because Izuku didn't want to take a single one of his dreams from him!"

Throughout this entire time, Bakugou hadn't denied a single thing. He hadn't even really changed expression much, form that emotionless stare that made eye contact with Mina. Though those around him were looking at him with a mixture of disbelief, and some even just downright disgust, he didn't seem affected.

All that did was piss Mina off even more.

"Unlucky for you Bakugou…. I'm not Izuku." Growled Mina, this time much quieter. The room was silent. She could make her voice as quiet as she wanted, and everyone there would hear her without issue. "I'm not as nice as he is… And I'm not someone who forgives bullies so easily. Especially not ones who hurt people that I love… The only reason… The _only_ reason… That I've kept my mouth shut about this for so long is because Izuku asked me not to say anything. Because for some insane reason, he still sees you as some sort of friend. Or at least someone he respects… But this… This entire mess is your fault! The Villains came after you, because of how much of a scumbag that you act like! Everyone fought and bled for you! Izuku got kidnapped because of you! And you got let off, completely free, while he's still being held hostage?! You don't deserve any of it! You don't deserve to be a fucking Hero! You - "

"I'm not the only one who's been lying though, am I?"

Eleven words were all that Bakugou needed to make Mina completely freeze in her tracks. The words, of which she had enough to make everyone's eardrums bleed with, suddenly left her. Those were the first words that Bakugou had spoken directly to her.

And they'd left her speechless.

"You… What're you..."

"Okay. Fine." The red eyed student took a quick scan of the room, looking every member of their class in the eyes each. "I'll admit to it. I did bully Deku. I kicked him through the fucking dirt, and every second of it was cathartic."

There wasn't even a way to describe the impact that those words had on every person in the room. Volatile and venomous, everyone knew he was…. But for some reason, no one ever suspected that Bakugou would go that far against someone.

But those certainly weren't the only words that he had to say.

"Why I did it was pretty damn straightforward. I thought he was Quirkless." It was like admitting to bullying someone who had a mental or physical disorder. In fact, given the world they lived in, it was doing exactly that. Like picking on someone who was confined to a wheelchair, or was born without sight. "I admit it. Him talking about Heroes all the damn time without having a Quirk just pissed me off..."

Shuffling and muttering could be heard throughout the crowd. And it was Uraraka who broke the silence. "But…. But Deku has a Quirk! He's got a super powerful one!"

"I'm not fucking finished." Growled Bakugou, shooting a nasty glare towards the Zero Gravity Quirk user. "I didn't think that he was Quirkless. I _knew_ that he was Quirkless."

"No."

It was all Mina could say. All that she had to try to stop this from happening.

There was no way.

He couldn't know.

No way.

"Those Villains that took me… They talked about some big boss man who had a Quirk that let him…" He paused, like he was contemplating even mentioning it. "… A Quirk that let him take other people's Quirk's and then give them to other people."

No…

He couldn't have figured it out…

Mina remembered that conversation. When she learned about All Might. Who he really was. Underneath all that muscle, that bravado. About Izuku's Quirk. About the truth about One For All… And the Villain All For One.

There… Was no…

Around him, other students suddenly began to look like Bakugou had smacked his head several times on the way back. A Quirk that rendered other people Quirkless? That was such an insane, absurd, unheard of concept -

"Yeah. I know. It sounds like a bunch of shit. I thought so as well."

He then looked right at Mina. With what almost looked like…

Remorse.

"Though that was until I _watched_ them _take_ Deku's Quirk."

She wasn't calling Bakugou a liar now.

In fact, she wasn't showing any kind of defiance. No resilience… All that posture, strength and determination… All of it was gone now. It had just been flushed straight out of her system, leaving her a shaking, desperate to disbelieve her boyfriend's bully's words, crumbling mess of a person. "No…" Was all she could say.

That… That couldn't be right. That couldn't be right at all. They… .They couldn't have stolen….

They couldn't have stolen One For All. They…. They couldn't… Izuku wouldn't let them! He'd fight them off and make an escape! Even if he broken his arms a few more times! That had to be what it was! That… That was…

It… He had to… He…

… No…

When everyone saw Mina's face again… They didn't see some who was angry. They didn't see someone who was mad about a liar. They didn't see someone who was fed up with Bakugou. They didn't see someone who was even sad about her boyfriend disappearing…

What they saw was outright shock. Fear. Terror, more accurately. Such a pure reaction, so genuine in every single way… Suddenly, no one would even deny it.

Mina somehow had known about this power and its existence.

"Deku got his power from somewhere else. Didn't he. That's the truth here, isn't it?"

Her face fell to the ground. She couldn't deny it. She had to… But she couldn't. Overcome with what she considered to be a fate that was so much worse, so much more cruel, so much more painful… She just…. Couldn't…

Izuku's Quirk… Was gone?

His power… The only thing he'd ever wanted… It was…

Gone?...

"The bone breaking. How he couldn't control his own power. Why he started at the bottom. Why someone so timid and scrawny had such a devastating power. It makes sense." Bakugou continued, now speaking more to the group, while he continued to look at Mina, shaking just a few meters away. "I saw it happen in front of me. Quirks can be taken and given to other people. Not to mention those Nomu things use multiple Quirks... So when you consider everything, it's pretty reasonable to think that he got it from another person. And of course he told you. He told you fucking everything. I don't know where he got it from… But you've both been lying for months. If you want to high road me, you better make sure you're being fucking honest, Ashido."

Mina's silence was a lot louder than any words that ever would exist in language. Slowly, one by one, everyone just realized it. There was no denial… So all that left them with… Was the truth.

So absurd it was a lie that under normal circumstances, anyone should have dismissed Bakugou accusing them of such an outlandish thing without even a second's hesitation, even if they were totally overwhelmed with everything else. Even if they were furious and angry, sad and scared for someone that they loved as dearly as Mina loved Izuku. Under no circumstances at all should Mina be silent… But she was.

And that said everything that everyone needed to know.

"A… Are you serious?"

"… A Quirk that… Let's someone steal other Quirks?..."

"Midoriya… His Quirk…. It isn't even his?"

"So he was…"

"This…. It makes way too much sense. No way…"

"So that's… Is… That why the Villains kept him? To take his…"

All Mina could do was tremble. Damage control was far too late at this point, and there wouldn't even be a point to it. What would she even do? Desperately plead everyone to believe Bakugou do be lying? Accused him of just making up things to try and cause more problems? She could already hear them.

Everyone's voices. Muttering their own conclusions. Speaking among themselves about the plausibility of what Bakugou had said. About Mina's actions after being accused of such a thing. Talking… Discussing…

…Turning their backs on Izuku… Learning the truth about his powers…

All she could do was tremble.

With pure hate.

Uraraka placed a soft, gentle hand on Mina's shoulder, and tried to get a better look at Mina's face by bending down. "A-Ashido, a-are you – Aah!"

She suddenly jumped back, and staggered a few steps behind, in what looked like pure terror. She tumbled backwards and collided into Kaminari, whom managed to catch her and keep her upright. Her eyes were wide and filled with terror.

All aimed directly at Mina.

"You…" Mina whispered, her fists shaking.

Her Quirk activating, dripping onto the ground below.

"Bakugou, you…"

She looked up, furious.

And charged straight at Bakugou, Quirk ready to burn right through his throat.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

"Ashido!"

Stopping her from getting within a meter of the Explosion Quirk user, whom still looked unphased by everything, Kirishima blocked Mina's progression towards Bakugou. He used his shoulder to barricade himself and to keep her from getting closer, using himself almost like a battering ram to stop her from getting any closer to the other boy. His right arm was against her waist, trying to push her back and making stepping forward a more difficult affair. He was vastly stronger than Mina physically, even when up against her athleticism. Holding her back did prove a challenge though.

A testament to how desperate Mina was to attack Bakugou.

Trying her best to reach him, to swing at him, to strike the smug bastard, Mina flailed and screamed as loud as she could. "YOU CAN'T JUST BE FUCKING HAPPY YOU'RE BACK, CAN YOU?! YOU HAVE TO TAKE EVERY FUCKING THING! EVERYTHING! YOU CAN'T LET IZUKU HAVE ONE DAMN THING, CAN YOU?! YOU CANT LET HIM JUST HAVE THE ONE THING EVERYONE HERE TAKES FOR GRANTED!"

"Stop this!"

"Ashido, calm down!"

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"Stop!"

"RAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

She screamed, her throat feeling like it was tearing itself apart. Everything that she felt towards him bellowed out without even the smallest trace of care for dignity, for social standing, for peace, or even self-preservation. Just the rawest of emotion that she was ever going to scream in her whole life.

" _I FUCKING HATE YOU BAKUGOU!_ _**I FUCKING HATE YOU**_!"

With as much force as he could managed, the Hardening Quirk user pushed Mina back and off of him. He didn't know what was even going on anymore. He was confused as to who he believed. He didn't know what to do. Nothing made sense, and everything was so out of control it wasn't even bearable.

So he did something he wasn't proud of. And would never be proud of, for the rest of his life.

"Ashido!"

The sound of a loud, clear, crisp smack shut everyone up, and echoed throughout the entire hospital floor. Kirishima's right fist had slammed straight into Mina's left cheek without any restraint whatsoever, knocking her head to the side, and stopping her right in her tracks.

No one had expected it. No one would have ever guessed it. Even Bakugou, acting as stoic as he had been this entire time, felt his jaw drop in complete surprise. Kirishima himself could scarcely believe that he'd just done such a thing, even as he was in the middle of actually throwing the punch. He had made the conscious choice to do so, and he knew that. And he'd stand by it.

"That's enough!"

But he wasn't proud of it. Not at all.

Having being punched in the left side of the face left Mina staring to the right side of her – A sea of faces, all shocked and as bewildered as she was. Pain wasn't a factor. She barely even felt the hit collide. She was totally stunned though. Completely and utterly stunned. Beyond words. Beyond action.

All she did was stare. Stare at the sea of faces that were staring back, for at least a solid twenty seconds of pure, tense as all hell silence that no one – Not even the hospital staff, whom had been trying, to their credit, to stop this madness. At this point, many of them were downright intimidated, and no one could blame them. Many simply left, hurried out by another Doctor, who thought it best to remove any patients and staff from the conflict before anyone got hurt – Dared to break.

It was only after those twenty seconds that Mina mover her right hand up to touch the spot Kirishima had struck her in. It stung when she touched it too bluntly, making her hiss and then very gently placing her fingers back over the impact site. After about forty seconds, she slowly turned to actually look at Kirishima.

She was downright speechless. "Kirishima?... What the… "

Anyone with any sort of calm of sanity about them could see that it was something Kirishima never wanted to do. He never liked having to do something like that, to anyone he ever considered to be his friend. He didn't like it…

Which was what had made what he'd done so surprising.

After sixty seconds, he finally spoke. "I… I don't know what the hell Midoriya's Quirk has to do with anything here! I don't even know if Bakugou's telling the truth. I can't even imagine how you have to be feeling right now, Ashido… you came to me, and you asked for my help in the lodge, and I agreed… Because I knew that all that frustration and fear had to be affecting you a hell of a lot more than it was affecting me… I get that. And I'm sorry about Midoriya. I don't know exactly… What your problem is with Bakugou, but we aren't in a place where we can just fight each other!"

Part of Mina understood what he was saying – Really, she did. They did need all the help that they could get. That much was true… But Bakugou?

Didn't matter. She didn't want anything to do with him being on the mission.

"If you want to save Midoriya, then Bakugou is coming with us! We're not in a position to turn down help."

Her eyes just widened. Of all people… "You… You're _defending_ him?!"

"Even if I didn't want him to - He's coming on the mission. We don't have the luxury of turning people away… And if that's a problem for you, Ashido, then don't come."

* * *

All Mina found herself able to do in her room when she returned to it was the same thing that she'd been doing for the last twenty four hours. And that was just cry. At this point, it wasn't even making her feel even the slightest bit better. It was just her body trying to let out all the frustration that she just kept having to deal with, over and over, but it wasn't working. She wished that she could just stop. She was so sick of crying, but she just couldn't stop….

She didn't even know how she hadn't just died of dehydration yet. Worse still, she wasn't even sure what emotion was making her cry most anymore.

Fear, sadness, anger, frustration, fury? Regret, guilt? Any single one of those emotions was filling her system right now, and made her want to just scream. Overwhelming her… It manifested itself in the form of tears though. So many tears…

Tears over the news Bakugou had brought. Over Izuku's lost Quirk.

Because his secret was now out, unless there was some way that they could figure out to avoid having to admit to everything. Really though, what chance did they have of that working out?...

And then, there was the biggest reason why she just couldn't stop herself from crying. Because she just missed him… So… So much… It hurt. It hurt so much to even think about him, but he was all she could think about. Her mind just wouldn't let her stop. He was on her mind, permanently.

His jacket was the only comfort that she had… And that wasn't much anymore.

They'd run out of time a while ago, apparently. Izuku's Quirk was already gone. Those words… That fate… It made what was left of Mina's heart shatter into a thousand pieces. She couldn't even begin to imagine it… Izuku, for all his work and training… Had lost his power? The power he had worked so hard to get?... The power that had been entrusted to him, only to lose it to such a terrifying sounding Villain?...

She couldn't even imagine… What would he even be going through? Going from Quirkless, to then, against all odds, having a Quirk, being able to peruse his dreams… Only to have it literally snatched away from him

"It doesn't change anything…" She muttered into her boyfriend's hoodie, like that was somehow going to telepathically send that message over to Izuku. "…Quirkless or not… I still love you, Izu…"

Love…

Before she met Izuku, she honestly hadn't even had a clue what it was. What being in love felt like. What it sounded like. What it tasted like. What it was like to cherish someone so deeply, that even being apart from them felt like a knife to the heart.

She could cry. She could scream. She could fight. She could die. She could do anything that she wanted. Anything that Izuku wanted.

Nothing was going to be able to express just how much she was in love with that green haired nerd. She adored Izuku with everything that she had. And that terrified her when she thought about the current situation…

How she had slapped him… And how he was still in danger… And now without a Quirk to help defend himself?... Only thirty hours ago, she could claim that, even though they had hit a rough patch, they were still happy. They could still sort things out, and just talk about their issues…

For that to be stolen from her…

The Villains were going to have to kill her.

For some reason that she didn't quite understand, she looked up from her tears and mutterings into Izuku's jacket, and looked at the top of her table bed, to find her phone just where she had left it. And something occurred to her.

She needed to call her family, yes….

But she needed to call Izuku's mother too.

* * *

 **First of all – Sorry about this chapter coming out late. It's been a hell of a stressful week at Uni. I've had so little free time. I've been working on all sorts of things. I'm really sorry ;-;**

 **This took a really freaking long time, and honestly, there was going to be more. A LOT more. I'm enjoying how I'm shaping up this story part so far. It's a lot of fun. Kirishima in particular is certainly fun to play around with here. These next couple of chapters are certainly ones you should be looking forward to.**

 **Right then – If you're getting a bit tired of my constant angst – Try the new story I'm writing called Five Words. I write it on the side because I need some fluff in my miserable black life of writing, so I made Izuku an absolute crushing mess on Mina, which is hilarious fun.  
Also check out Acidic Affection – A story written by 12AngryMen. It's soft, fluffy, and it does a couple of additions to Mina's character which I ADORE. There are some tricks in here that I really wish I'd thought of for Awkward Energy – So go check this one out. I think there's something very special there. **

**Also – My 19** **th** **birthday is on the 1** **st** **of December – Reason I bring this up is that it maaaay be difficult to get a chapter out for next week. I'm visiting home and won't have my computer – I'll do what I can though.**

 **Other than that guys, I can't think of any other PSA's – Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time – See ya!**


	48. Before The Rescue

What was she going to say?

What was she going to explain to her family?

What was she going to tell them?

Mina hovered her thumb over the call button to her mother's cell number, for the fourth time in the last ten minutes, before the screen went black, and she had to switch it back on from standby mode again. She knew that she only had about twenty four hours, tops, before the mission would actually begin to go rescue Izuku. That meant that there was only twenty four hours in which she could do this.

A thousand questions were running through her head as she considered hitting dial. Things that she needed to go over in her head, things she needed to think through and finalize in her brain before she actually committed to hitting that button and calling her family.

She already knew that they were worried sick. There wasn't any doubt in her mind in that regard whatsoever. For all the teasing and taunting, and for all the punches to the guy that she wanted to give her siblings at times, all the times she wanted to just plug her ears when her mother started to talk, and all the times she wished she could shut her father up, the Ashido family all had strong bonds. For all their banter and jokes and sometimes legitimate arguments, they cared deeply about one another. Mina loved her family, absolutely. And that was why she didn't want to worry them any more than they already were bound to be.

But there wasn't any way that she was going to be able to do something like this without worrying them even more.

How did she explain that she wasn't going to return home, even though she would no doubt be discharged tomorrow?

Did she tell them that they were going to rescue Izuku?

If she did, would it be a better idea to wait until the morning? If they knew that she was going to go and try and rescue her boyfriend, would they call the cops to try to stop her?... Actually, she didn't know why she was even thinking about it. Of course they would. What doubt was there?

So many things were swirling about inside her mind that it was beginning to get difficult for her to focus. Various questions unrelated to her current predicament were distracting her. So many feelings, so much raw emotion was dragging her attention away from the task at hand. Strife and remorse and regret all playing their hand at trying to break the pink skinned girl and make her unable to bring herself to push that call button.

Izuku's Quirkless origins being outed by Bakugou, and her own panicked admission of it.

The state that Izuku was bound to be in at the Villains lair.

Her questions regarding One For All and if it was even possible to steal the Quirk.

Confliction and, primarily, anger towards Kirishima for hitting her like he had done, and his lack of understanding of the situation.

Fear for her boyfriend's safety.

And none of that was even considering the seemingly inevitable backlash she was bound to receive for acting the way that she had. The backlash Izuku was going to get for hiding his Quirkless origins from everyone, even if he explained that All Might had asked him to remain silent. Would their classmates shun him now? For lying about the origins of his power? For betraying their trust?

…For being Quirkless?

Everything was just jumbled up, every fear, every doubt, all holding her back. Making her doubt herself before pressing the button to call her mother's phone, not trusting herself not to either burst into tears again, or reveal something that could give up the plan. She was a mess. And she was acutely aware of the state that she was in… But she couldn't think of any real way to get out of it.

Not unless Izuku was right next to her. Which she needed. Which she needed more than anything else right now.

"Ashido, kid? I just wanted to check in on you."

When Mina looked up to see whom it was that had come to visit her, she found herself suddenly in the company of a tall, skinny man with long limbs, and a particularly long neck, messy blond hair, and eyes that were shadowed over by his own brow. To many, this was the image of a man who was totally unimpressive in this world of extraordinarily people with incredible superhuman abilities.

Mina was one of the only people who knew that this was the true form of All Might, number one Pro Hero. And the reason that Izuku had even been able to follow his dreams to become a Hero.

And, by extension, the entire reason that she'd been able to meet him at all.

"There… Haven't been any developments regarding young Midoriya's location." A lie, Mina knew. Kirishima and Todoroki revealed that to her already. He was probably not allowed to release information like that, in case that someone leaked the information. Mina didn't blame him for lying. "I just thought you'd want to know that we're looking into it still…"

She looked at him, her black eyes empty, with dark bags underneath them, a clear indicator of how tired she was, how little she had slept, and how much she had wept since this whole mess had gone down. There was no energy, no real words that she could say to the man. Izuku and All Might had a bond, of that there was no doubt, and she could tell that the loss of his protégé, as well as the return on the Villain's original target, had been a…. Experience for the older man, like it had been for her. From what she'd been told about their time together, and how Izuku had been trained by the guy…

It was possible he was hurting just as much as she was. Almost probable, actually.

The pink skinned girl hadn't seen the older man since the entire Summer Camp had begun – Which was only four days ago. That fact disturbed her a lot more than she was willing to openly admit. Four days. That was how long ago everything was. Four days ago, she was with Izuku. And they were happy. And there were worries… But they'd not fought. They would still talk, and they would laugh, and they would smile and hold one another…

She could hold him and she could kiss him…

She could tell him she loved him…

She couldn't talk. Words weren't going to come right now. Not right now. All that would happen was that she'd burst into tears. She couldn't talk right now. Not about Izuku. Not to All Might.

He seemed to understand all of this though, just by looking at the state that the young girl was in. the Eighth One For All User sighed, and entered the room, closing the door behind him. The differences between his true form and his Hero form were stark. It wasn't difficult to see why no one had managed to figure out who he was by eyesight alone in that regard. Expressions were a lot more easily discernible in his true form as well, Mina thought. He looked just as sad. Just as broken. And just as defeated as anyone of the students had felt.

All Might was a Hero, sure. One of the best, without question… But he was still human. He wasn't a machine. He could still fail, feel defeat and shame, and regret. It was easy to forget that he was just as vulnerable as anyone else. Particularly when the media depicted him as someone unshakable. Unbreakable. Someone who was always going to be there to fix what was wrong…

But he was just as weak and frail as the rest of the world.

Mina wasn't sure if that made her feel more reassured… Or terrified beyond words.

Silently, All Might walked towards the young girl, and then sat down on the bed beside her. His hands came together, in one single, large fist, just in front of his nose. His back was bent over, his elbows resting on his legs, and his eyes firmly focused on the ground in front of him. He remained like this for a few seconds, not even looking at the Acid Quirk user that was next to him. Mina could tell he was trying to think of something encouraging to say. Something inspiring. Something that would befit the name of All Might.

There wasn't anything though. Nothing that he could say. Nothing that came to mind.

And even if it did come to mind… It would just ring hollow. Especially to her.

"…I should have been there." He eventually said, bringing his left hand up to his forehead and clutching a large chunk of the front of his skull with it. His right arm flopped onto his legs and his teeth began to show as he gritted them. He was shaking. A sight that made the acidic girl let out a small, short gasp. "I was supposed to be there, before the incident with Shigaraki and Midoriya, but it was decided that me being there would just attract the Villains… But it was the wrong decision. Even if my presence there had attracted the Villains, I could have still done something to help you kids!..."

Regret was a powerful thing, Mina had come to learn, and it affected the strongest people out there, she was learning right now. Though not to the extent that Izuku did, she had always admired All Might, like most in their society did, for his strength and resolve and firm character. How villains always fell before him…

Yet here he was. Wrecked by that regret, and questions of what could have been if things had played out differently. What many considered to be the sole reason for their society being as Villain free as it was, whom many considered to be the very pillar of Heroism, was sat in front of Mina, lamenting his inability to do anything.

He was feeling just as helpless as the rest of them.

"… One For All…"

Mina quietly said, looking at the Pro Hero with tears in her eyes. She wasn't really sure how to bring up the subject of Izuku's now lost Quirk. It was bizarre when she really just thought about it. Quirks being passed down to another person was…. Well, while it explained a lot about how Izuku was when she first met him. How his Quirk worked, and everything about why he was how he was, and why his Quirk hammered him. Everything fit perfectly. It was why she believed it so easily and readily.

Many secrets were still kept from her about the Quirk and its function though. Many things that she just didn't get…

And that did leave her with the slimmest possibility of hope.

"I… I have a question about it…"

Looking up from the ground, All Might turned to face the teary eyed girl, eyes slightly wider than they normally were. "Yes?"

Only in that moment though, did it occur to her that All Might had no idea that One For All had been stolen.

It almost felt like she was on a grievance visit all of the sudden. Like she had been sent to inform a relative of someone who the deceased was close to that they had passed away. Well, not really, but kind of? A Quirk was something that, in most cases, you were supposed to have until the day that you died, and took your power along with you. The idea of passing one on still was an odd one for Mina, but hearing that it was gone…. She tried to imagine that Acid was suddenly taken from her. Gone. Without a trace, and no chance to return to her. It was difficult for her to consider, simply because of how she had been raised and viewed the world, but she tried to imagine it.

She tried to imagine becoming suddenly Quirkless. She tried to think… About how Izuku had lived his life.

The only way that she could describe it was like a part of her had died.

Quirks were so fundamental in this world, and to every person who owned one… It was like a part of them – No, it was a part of them. To have it suddenly stolen…

Izuku and All Might were both Quirkless though, without One For All in their veins. To have that given, and then to lose it… To report that it was gone forever, the only thing Mina could even compare it to was being told a loved one had died. There just didn't seem to be anything even remotely close to

"I… When… Bakugou was talking to us earlier… He…"

She paused for a moment, trying to pick the best way to phrase all of this.

"You… When you…. First told me about One For All… You told me that it couldn't be stolen, didn't you?... It only leaves Izuku when he wants it to right?..." She could already see the confusion, mixed with the downright terror that All Might's face was starting to make. He already knew where this was going, she could tell…. But she couldn't stop herself from just continuing anyway. "B-But…. Bakugou said that…. His Quirk was just…. S-Stolen. In front of him… By someone…"

Her eyes went wider as she repeated what the red eyed boy had stated beforehand.

"…Someone who had a Quirk that could steal other Quirks…"

All For One. The name of the Villain that could take Quirks from people… The person whom had supposedly…. Just stolen Izuku's dreams of Heroism from him

Her eyes were desperate. Begging.

Just pleading.

Pleading to be wrong.

Pleading that Bakugou was lying.

Pleading…. For something that she knew wouldn't ever happen. She knew that she was setting herself up for heartbreak… To be told that she was wrong… But the words came out anyway.

"That…. That can't happen, right? One For All can't be stolen unless Izuku wants it to happen, right?..."

For a few moments, All Might just didn't say a word, though there was a clear tension that hung in front of the pair of them. All Might's silence honestly said a lot more than any words that he said ever could, but Mina tried her best, hoping to cling onto anything she could for as long as she could, even if it didn't make sense, and that it would hurt more in the end.

She just wanted to hope that maybe, against all probability in the universe…. That maybe, just maybe…. Izuku wasn't going to have to suffer anymore.

All Might then just sighed, taking one of his hands, and gripping the bridge of his nose, tightly with it, showing a set of gritted teeth. His eyes became hidden, totally enveloped by the shadow of his brow as he looked down again. He look like a defeated man, utterly broken by what he had just heard.

"When I said One For All was incapable of being stolen…. That simply refers to if someone attempted to steal the Quirk according to One For All's rules." The professional Hero muttered in explanation. He was quiet, probably thinking of a million other things right now, along with a genuine fear for the status of the Quirk that only just trickled throughout his body now, and had been passed down with a singular purpose for generations. There was no doubt he felt like he had failed… "One For All cannot be stolen by another person under most conventional means. That's why, no matter how often he might have kissed you, for sake of example, you will not receive One For All unless he wants you too…"

His head then flopped down into his hands, as he clutched his head.

"That doesn't apply to a Quirk that's only function is to take other Quirks by force… One For All can still be stolen by All For One…So he either gave it up willingly… Or…"

Mina gulped. Izuku wasn't the sort of person who would ever give up the power that he had. He had fought for that power. He'd earned it. There wasn't anyone more worthy of having that kind of power. And he wouldn't ever let it go. Maybe to save Bakugou… But the Explosion Quirk user hadn't mentioned anything like that. Izuku….

He wouldn't give up One For All like that…. So…

It would have been ripped from his body by the Quirk All For One.

A wave of sickness suddenly hit Mina, making her cover her mouth before she could actually throw up out of sheer horror at what that meant. She didn't have a clue how All For One worked. If it was painful, how it was activated… What it meant for Izuku afterwards…

If he'd even…. Survive it…

What felt like an hour passed, though it was only a minute or two of total silence between the Professional Hero and the younger Hero in training, as both tried to comprehend the new information both had just received from the other. Despite being on two different sides of the coin, and caring about the same person for vastly different reasons, both felt they could understand the pain that the other was feeling right now.

So much regret. So much remorse. So many questions of if they could have done something better, and saved themselves all of this pain and mental torment.

Intense desire. Impatience. An inability to even stand still anymore.

Drive… Yet fear at the same time. All blended together, making their bodies shake with emotion, making their stomachs swirl… But forcing them to move.

That was why Mina was going on the mission tomorrow, no matter what. Even if Bakugou was going to come along. Even if his mere presence here made her want to scream with everything that she had in her lungs. Even if she was never going to be looked at by her classmates in the same way ever again for how she'd lost her temper like she did… She was still going to go on the mission.

Everyone else be damned.

"…All Might?..." Mina wouldn't lie though.

She did feel helpless. Weak. Powerless. Like she couldn't do anything. That mission, it was dangerous, and there was an incredibly high chance that they wouldn't even be able to do anything at all. It was the first time in her life that she truly just felt that there wasn't any sort of prayer to do anything.

The USJ, she hadn't done anything. Everyone else had done everything around her, and she felt horrible about it. She felt weak back then. And she'd tried so hard since then to push herself forward, to push herself far beyond her own limits after that. She's stood up to a Villain four times her own size before she even stepped foot into Yuuei, and then fell to her knees in just pure fear at the USJ. After she'd been accepted. After she'd finally started making true strides towards becoming a Hero…

But not long after, she met Izuku. She began to speak to him. And he pushed her. Forced her to do better. In everything. She never felt weak after the USJ. Never felt hopeless….

Not until now, anyway.

She was a contradictory of nonsensical messes, and she knew this. She wanted to be the one to save Izuku. She wanted to be the one to rescue him. To save him…

Like he'd saved her.

She wasn't sure in herself though. Not anymore. She was going to go on the mission, and she was going to do her best. She was going to fight like hell to bring him back, and she wasn't going to, for even a second, give up. She'd fight until it killed her. She'd push herself to the absolute limits, beyond everything that she had, and even further past that. She was going to do everything in her power to bring him back…

But feared that it was all an effort in wasted energy and time. And that, even with her powerful Quirk… she might not be able to do anything. It was the honest first time in her whole life that, even with all her power, with all her strength, and ability… She felt like she couldn't do anything at all.

What was even the point of her Quirk if she couldn't help her own boyfriend when he needed her more than ever?...

""I…. I can't do anything…" Mina said, fighting back tears. She was so sick of crying, she was doing everything in her power to downright refuse to. She couldn't revel the mission to All Might. She refused to. "I… Even if the Pro's let us try and help in some way… I…." She gulped. "I'm not smart. I couldn't help figure out a plan…. I'm not strong…. I couldn't even use my Quirk to protect Izuku… To save him… I… I don't… I don't know if I'm even… If I even can be a Hero…"

Her hands balled up into fists. She'd never felt more pathetic in her entire life…

"But…. All Might… I'm… I'm begging you…. You're a Pro… You're one, if not the best… If anyone can..." Turning her head slightly, she moved to look towards his face. True form or not, he was difficult to read in this scenario. She couldn't tell what he was thinking in response to her words. Truth be told, she didn't even know what she was saying, so she couldn't blame him. "…I know he…. He's lost his Quirk... I know that…But… I'm begging you…."

Without effort, and without energy, she bowed her head. She didn't even have the strength to stand up and get on her knees, or she would have done that in a heartbeat.

"…Please… Save him."

"Even if One For All is gone…"

Without any warning whatsoever, All Might then suddenly transformed into his Muscle filled form, much to the surprise of the pink girl next to him. It was a process that she hadn't seen before, and truthfully, she was amazed by just how instantaneous that it was. Just a puff of steam, and he was revealed to be the Symbol of Peace underneath all that skin and bone. There was no smile on his face though. Not that trademarked one that he made to put those around him at ease. There wouldn't be much of a point to it, since he knew that nothing he said or did was going to fully help Mina to relax.

The words that came out of his mouth were just purely from the heart. No hyperbole. Nothing that was said just because he wanted the Acidic girl to feel better. Just cold, pure intent.

"I will save young Midoriya! A Quirk or not, he is still my protégé, and still a proud member of Yuuei! I give you my word, young Ashido – I will save him!"

* * *

Actually getting herself to calm down enough that she could even hold her phone again without shaking took a while. Fifteen minutes in total. Fifteen minutes in which she'd needed to just take deep breaths, and long exhales, to try and calm her body down. This entire situation was just a collective breeding grounds for anxiety, for depression. For everything Mina was forcing herself not to give into.

How could just one day feel like such a drained slog? Like such a forced march through hell? Like a forced, painful, trudge through mud and grit? How was it even possible to be dragged through that much agony in such a short space of time? The last day had been more painful than anything she'd done, than any injury she'd received, or whatever lectures and punishments her parents had rolled out when she was being a brat and was punished.

She let out a sigh and looked at her phone again. It was still scattered with notifications, telling her about all the various texts, calls, and messages on social media apps that she'd gotten over the last day. If she bothered to count them all up, they'd probably go into the latter half of the hundreds. Maybe even into the thousands. Most people in her family were more into sending short, snappy messages, rather than long winded, detailed ones. That was just how they were. Impatience was just an Ashido trait, it seemed…

And that almost made actually pressing the button to dial them that much harder. She already knew what to expect. Or at least had a good idea. She knew what she could expect. Two thousand questions in under a minute. Uncomfortable questions, ones that she didn't even want to deal with. Questions about Izuku. About her injuries. About her friends. About everything that was going down. About what happened. She had no doubts that they'd want details on the Villains, how many she fought and what exactly went down to make her receive injury. And if Aizawa had told them about her escape play…. Then she'd have another round of questions that she'd need to answer.

And she didn't want to deal with it. These were things that she just didn't' want to have to put up with. Not today, on top of everything else. Today was already the lowest that she ever felt at any point in her life, and if she could avoid feeling this way, or making it even slightly worse, then she wanted to do so. She didn't want to call them… But she couldn't keep putting it off forever. The rescue mission began tomorrow… So if she wanted to be able to go along, and not have to worry about her parents showing up the next day trying to drag her out of the hospital, she needed to do this as soon as possible.

It was just something that she had to do. It really was that simple.

Another sigh escaped her mouth, and finally, after putting it off for nearly a full hour, she hit the dial button, and brought the phone up to her ear.

There wasn't even a delay long enough for her to hear the first dial-back.

" _Mina_!" Her brother's voice. Micha's, specifically. Mina's eyes rearranged themselves, her left widening, while her right eyebrow burrowed itself into her brow.

"Micha? What're you using Mom's phone for?"

The sounds of footsteps and rumbling on the other side indicated that the rest of the family were now clambering around her brother. _"We've just been waiting on you all day! Where the hell've you been_?!" More shouting and talking from the other side of the phone, from pretty much everyone else all at the same time made any other words an incomprehensible mess to the point Mina couldn't even hear a single one of them. It all just merged together into one giant cloud of white noise that she couldn't differentiate.

One more reason that she wasn't keen on this call at all. Everyone would just be yelling over one another trying to converse with her.

"C… Could you maybe talk one at once? I seriously can't hear a word any of you are saying." Mina said with yet another sigh escaping her lips. She could already tell that this wasn't going to be a fun talk.

" _Mina_!" Her mother's voice. Judging by how much that she could hear from the surrounding areas, like everyone else shuffling around one another, Mina guessed that she'd been put onto speakerphone, so everyone could hear what she had to say, and she would be able to hear everyone else. _"Are you alright?!"_

"About as well as you'd think." The pink girl flatly stated. Seriously, how did they think she was going to be in this situation? "I… I just wanted to call. I'm being discharged tomorrow."

" _Already_? _They told us you had a knife through your hand! It's already healed?!_ "

"Yeah. Recovery Girl's Quirk is awesome. Healed me up quickly. I've got some nasty scars though…" The older woman's Quirk did wonders for those who were injured, always. Mina sometimes did wonder what Yuuei was going to do when she eventually retired. They'd need to either find someone who had another powerful Healing Type Quirk, or they were going to have to seriously reevaluate how they taught the next groups that came after them.

Sounds of relief and a more calm serenity came from down the other line. Like a weight had been lifted off of all their chests, which it probably had been. She heard the younger Mika and Mara yelling some things at one another, but for the most part, her family seemed to have calmed down from just hearing about this from her. Not hearing anything from her probably hadn't helped. With everything going on, she just hadn't had the time, or the patience until now.

Next to speak up was her father, whom had been blended into the white noise a bit thanks to everyone else. " _I'm so glad to hear that you're okay. I'm sorry that we couldn't get there to visit you today. What with Micha getting arrested after deciding to use his Quirk on a news reporters camera – "_

A slight pause, probably so that the older man could give his firstborn a glare, before he spoke again

" _\- And the build-up of traffic has been awful. Lots of people have been moving around thanks to the news. We should be fine tomorrow though. We'll come pick you up at – "_

Before he could even finish, Mina cut him off. "I'm fine. But... Don't pick me up." There was another pause, followed by some muttering on the other end that she couldn't quite make out. "I just wanted to call you. To let you know that I'm okay. Don't bother coming to get me though – I can promise you that the media and police won't even let you close." That part wasn't even a lie. Bakugou's parents hadn't even been permitted to come and visit him. Too many variables right now, especially since Bakugou's return hinted that the League had a rough idea where the students were. "I'll need to grab a train to get home…. But that's mostly why I'm calling. I won't be heading home tomorrow. There are still people here who need help... And I need to do something. Yuuei takes care of its students, it'll be fine."

" _You're not staying there, are you?!"_

" _You can't stay at Yuuei!"_

" _Are you serious?!"_

And there it was.

Yet another thing she was going to have to deal with.

Mina had expected this. She honestly wasn't even surprised by the sudden, viscus refusal to allow her to remain at the school. Given everything that had happened to the students since the year had begun, it was honestly amazing that she hadn't been pulled out of Yuuei already. She'd had to fight her corner in those instances.

This was going to be one hell of another fight in of itself. One she didn't feel she had the mental capacity to deal with amicably. Tired and exhausted, stressed and scared as she was, Mina didn't have the ability to put the normal barriers that she kept up, the things she held back when talking to people, or anything at all. She'd already lost it once with Bakugou today, and she was going to lose it with her family if this kept up.

It was going to end in a fight. No question.

"Of course I'm staying with Yuuei! Why the hell wouldn't I?" She questioned, raising her voice. "I pushed myself to the breaking point to even be allowed to _try out_ for the entrance examinations! I'm not throwing that out the window!"

 _"They just lost_ two _students - One of them was your freaking boyfriend!"_

Black eyes widened, before narrowing down, and golden pupils now glaring towards the phone held up to her head, like Mina thought that Micha would feel the death stare she was giving him right now. "...I'm _very_ much aware, Micha. I was there, in case you've forgotten."

 _"You're supposed to be students, damn it! This isn't the kind of thing that Heroes are supposed to do!"_

"You're not even in Yuuei. You failed the entrance exam. What would you know about Heroism?"

Movies. Video Games. Manga and comics. Those were really the only methods that Micha, or really anyone in her family, truly got any information about Heroism from. Like how kids would see movies about soldiers at war back before Quirks, and then assume they knew everything that there was to know about the military. In actuality, they wouldn't know a thing, other than the most basic of terms and statuses. Of conduct codes and formations.

Reality was much different to imagination. Mina had learned that beyond any shadow of a doubt. And her brother acting like they understood the world that she was in better than she did…

Her mother. **"** _Mina, you can't go back to Yuuei. It isn't safe anymore!"_

Her father. " _We're already looking into other schools with Hero Courses. Shiketsu High is -"_

"I'm _not leaving Yuuei_!" Exploded the pink girl, loudly and incredibly viciously. She could feel her right hand shaking again, though she wasn't too concerned about that right now. This wasn't from sickness from fear. This wasn't from anxiety. This one was just from anger.

Seven thousand reasons existed why she wanted to remain at Yuuei, even after everything that had gone down. The fact that she'd wanted to go there since she was a kid. The fact that she'd trained herself to the edge just to even try out for a place. The fact that she had friends there.

The fact that she met Izuku there.

While questions did rage on within her as to if she was even capable of becoming a Hero… She knew that she wanted to stay at Yuuei. She had emotional attachment to the place at this point. Ridiculous as it sounded to have an attachment to a _school_ of all places. She adored the school, for just about everything that there was to adore and admire. She admitted it – She was a bad student. But that wasn't on the school itself. That was on her. And the school couldn't be blamed for an unforeseen attack that they had taken every measure to avoid… That was just unfair. In every single aspect of the word. None of the students held it against Yuuei…

But everyone else seemed to think that they had a better idea of how things should have gone down, unrealistic as they were.

And of all people, _Micha_ had the gaul?...

 _"Yuuei can't even keep its own students safe! Heroes aren't supposed to face this - "_

"Did you give up?"

Silence. For the first time since she'd picked up the phone, everyone on the other line just went completely silent. No noise. No conversation. No muttering and whining from the younger siblings. No questions exchanged by her parents, and no wisecracks from Micha. There was nothing but cold radio silence.

If she were being honest, Mina had suspected it for a while. Micha should have been in Yuuei. He really should have when she considered everything that she knew about her older brother. He should have passed without any problems. But he never did.

She was starting to figure out why.

"... _What?_ " No smugness. No confusion. Not even concern at this point. It was one of the only times that Micha had just been downright stunned that Mina remembered. He always had a joke ready. Always had a comeback. Always ready to make some sort of smartass remark, and when all else failed, he'd just brush it off as some sort of joke that 'Pinky' took too seriously. Here he was just silent. Short words. No real emotion behind them.

"You heard me." Mina repeated. She already knew that she'd hit the nail on the head. "Whenever I think about it, you should have gotten into Yuuei. Your Quirk is powerful. You're smart. You're skinny, but you're strong. You should have easily gotten into Yuuei. But you didn't. You failed the practical, and you weren't even that upset. You've never been bitter. You almost seemed happy. Even when I got in, you weren't bitter."

That was what annoyed her about him talking about this like he understood it. Like he thought Heroes were supposed to be exactly like they were in the comics and video games.

"Did the robots scare you? Did they give you an actual taste of what being a Hero would be like? How dangerous it is?"

Silence again. Once more, she'd hit the nail on her brothers head. He didn't know the first thing about real Heroism. But he was talking as if he did.

"...I thought so." Mina sighed. These had been thoughts that had haunted her since she learned her brother had failed the entrance exam. It was why she had trained so hard – If anyone should have gotten in, it was Micha. Without question. Any respect that she held for her brother, it wasn't going to stop her from tearing into him right now. Things were too serious for her to try and let her family calmly know that she was going to stick with this.

When it came to getting permission from them now… It was going to be like trying to get blood from a stone… But that was okay.

"Don't talk to me about what Heroes should and shouldn't do. And right now, there's something I need to do. Not as a student. As a Hero."

Izuku was more important.

With that final comment, she hung the phone up, and let out a smaller sigh.

And then a small scream into her pillow in frustration.

* * *

Calling Izuku's mother was a hell of a lot easier, if twice as guilt inducing. Izuku and his mother were close. So incredibly close. Mina had learned this so very well when she'd met the older woman. The first time she'd ever met Inko. Seeing her again in the police station after that incident in Kiyashi. Mina knew how deep the bond between these two ran. It went beyond just maternal instinct. It went much deeper than that.

Inko was the only person that Izuku had to rely on during his Quirkless years. She was the only person who he could lean on. Inko wanted the best for her son. No one was ever going to be able to deny this if they even met her for less than twenty seconds.

Duty made her call more than anything. Mina couldn't even begin to imagine how she was feeling right now. In the dark, no one to keep her updated, alone, only knowing that her son was kidnapped by Villains, and that the Heroes still haven't found a way to rescue them. That information wouldn't be passed down to the families of those kidnapped. They wouldn't want to risk leaking information…

Mina wasn't held to such a concept though. Inko was a trustworthy person, and if anyone – Anyone at all, deserved to know exactly what was happening to her son, it was her. Without even a second's hesitation, Mina had come to that conclusion, and felt it was the only right thing to do. To let her know that people weren't just sitting around, waiting for the best case scenario to play out. That there were people who were still fighting, still trying, and planning to find out what was going on. That there were people who were still going to do right by her son.

She answered the phone in only a few seconds. She had been crying, Mina could tell, without even a single word being spoken. How she hadn't died of dehydration… that was a question she could extend to the entire Midoriya family. _"Is that you, Izuku?!"_

Mina felt her own heart break a bit. That was how desperate Inko was?...

This wasn't going to be an easy call. Even if it was easier than calling her own family, that still didn't mean it was going to be easy. Or fun. In any way at all.

"...It's not I'm afraid, Mrs. Midoriya." She finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. Actually speaking almost made her feel bad – She was dashing that desperate hope that Inko was clinging onto.

Seconds passed before Inko, through sniffling and what Mina guessed to be two or three tissues, managed to respond to her voice. _"A... Ashido?"_

"It's Mina... And yeah... It's me." The feeling of having to call her like this was bad enough… Having her trying to be formal was just one more barrier she didn't want to deal with.

 _"Are... Are you okay? Have you heard anything about Izuku?!"_

"I'm... Doing about as well as you are, I suppose..." There wasn't any reason to hide her feelings from Inko. Mina knew that of all people, Inko was one of the only people who would get it. Who would really, unequivocally, undeniably understand what it was that she felt and why she felt it. If there was anyone in this world who would be able to tell Mina that what she felt was valid or not, whom Mina truly cared for the opinion of in this circumstance, it was that of Inko Midoriya.

Because she was the only person who really was going to get it. Understand exactly what Mina felt right now. Even if she opposed the plan… There wasn't any doubt that she did get why Mina was going to do it. Even if she didn't agree. Even if she didn't approve.

She would understand… And she deserved to know. That really was it. She just deserved to know, more than anything.

"We... We got a lead on Izuku." The horned girl revealed, closing her eyes as she did so, as if to brace herself from the words that she herself were saying. "Someone from our class has a Quirk that let them put a tracking device on one of the Villains that attacked us. I... I just wanted to let you know. We're getting him back. I promise you, we're going to get him back."

Inko didn't response right away. The news seemed to have surprised her just as much as it had shocked Mina when she had first heard it. Understandable, and not at all something that she hadn't expected. Unlike her own parents, Mina felt she could be far more patient with Inko, since the green haired woman wasn't the type to start rushing around to her own devices and conclusions.

At least, Mina didn't get the sense that she'd do that sort of thing.

" _Are you working with the Professionals_?" To not be working with the Pros was basically illegal. It wasn't any wonder that that question had come up.

Lying would have been much easier. It would have been so easy just to say that they were working with the Pros. It would put Inko to rest, and would more than likely be the safer option for those who were going on the mission in the first place. It would help avoid a lot of messes in the future, especially when they eventually returned… But Mina couldn't do it.

For some reason, she found herself unable to lie to Inko. Maybe it was because she herself was already wrecked with enough guilt to sink a battleship, but she just couldn't bring herself to hide any of the truth from the fretting mother. A sigh escaped her lips.

"...No."

 _"That's too dangerous! You can't do that! Yuuei has strong Heroes that are teaching you - Take this to them!"_

"The Heroes already know... But there's legal processes. We can't wait on them."

" _Ashido -_ "

"I love your son."

Mina found herself unable to stop herself from saying that. It just came out, before she had time to mentally make herself stop. They tumbled out. And continued to tumble out before she could stop herself.

"I adore him. I love him so much it hurts me to even think about him right now. Everything… Everything that happened, I… I don't know if I could have done anything to save him. I don't know if I even…. Really deserve him. He's the... The best thing that has ever happened to me. I..."

She paused for a moment. What was she doing?

"…I don't know... If I can be the person to make him happy... He's the first person I've ever dated... And I'm the first person he's ever dated... It's... Pretty rare that ever works out in the end, huh?"

She felt her teeth grit.

"And... And I've been afraid... Afraid that he doesn't feel this way about me... Because he's never said that he loves me... Because he's not the type to show a lot of physical affection… He's…. He's kind of an odd sort, isn't he?... And if that's how he feels…. Then…. Then that's how he feels…"

She felt her hand ball up into a fist.

"...But that doesn't matter."

She knew why she was saying this now. It had taken her brain a few seconds to catch up with her heart, but she knew why she was saying all of this now.

"I love him. And I'm going to save him. Even if it's illegal. Even if I don't see him again after... "

She was saying these things because they were true.

"Even if I can't be a Hero. Even if it kills me... "

She was saying these things because they were what was motivating her to even go on this mad quest."

"I'm going to save Izuku."

She was saying all of this because they were her true feelings. Because they were the reasons that she wanted to go out on this mission. She was saying these things because, at the end of it all, Izuku was the best thing that had happened to her. She was saying these things because she didn't have much to lose anymore. Except her life, maybe.

A life that… Wasn't worth living without Izuku. No matter how ridiculous it sounded.

She hang up, and let out a sigh.

When had she fallen this in love with Izuku? How had she fallen this hard for him? They hadn't even been together that long, but she was already feeling like this about him? This was how far his disappearance had affected her?...

Maybe she was just crazy. She really wasn't sure at this point.

* * *

It was another sleepless night for Mina. Tossing, turning, and anxiety wrested with her to keep her awake and not allow her any sort of rest. Too many thoughts were collectively bashing against one another in her brain for her to even think about getting some sleep. She would need drugs to knock her out. Drugs that she was provided with, but refused to take. Ridiculous as it might have been, she didn't want to risk sleeping past the deadline time for the group's departure.

They probably didn't even want her on the mission. Kirishima had made that sentiment quite clear to her, not that she was particularly concerned with what he though. Were she being honest, she could not be more upset with the guy right now. She had a list of things a mile long that she could bring up and say she was pissed off with him about.

He wasn't the wimp that she knew back in middle school. She'd give him that much.

Though right now, she was wondering if that was a good thing or not.

His friendship with Bakugou put her on wobbly terms with him already ever since she started dating Izuku, but she had been more than capable of separating the two of them. Kirishima was no Bakugou, of that she knew with absolute certainty. And she was on good terms with the guy. She wasn't entirely certain what exactly they were. Friends, horn buddies, or whatever. But she didn't outright dislike the guy. She had no ill will towards him at all.

She certainly did now though.

After everything that she'd told everyone, after exposing Bakugou for the sociopath that he was, he still had it in him to somehow defend the guy? He still felt that he was someone who honestly deserved to be defended like that?

What happened to the guy who wanted to stand up to bullies, she had to wonder. How blind did someone have to be to think that Bakugou was a good person at this point? After everything…

And how?

How did he not get what her problem was with him? She'd screamed it right to his face – What on earth was there to be confused about? She'd made it as clear as physically possible what her deal as with Bakugou, what more did Kirishima freaking need from her? Was he just in denial or something? It wasn't like Mina had a whole lot of other guesses.

Either way, he had pissed her off.

She didn't know why she thought about this while she looked out her window the following day, in the middle of the afternoon. She'd been straight up staring out her window for hours now. There wasn't much else to really do. She didn't want to shift through all the messages and phone calls on her phone. She didn't really want to speak to anyone outside of her room. She didn't' really feel like she had the patience to do anything like that. She'd probably end up breaking something if she did. It was one of the only times she just didn't want anything to do with social interaction.

Honestly, she just wanted to be on her own until the moment came where she had to go and face them.

So she just stayed in her room. Watching cars and people pass through the area. Watching the weather change, hoping to God that it wouldn't end up becoming a downpour when it became time to leave. Watching the day pass by, at what felt like a snails crawl. Watching clouds roll by. To try to pass the time, she tried to look for ones that had some kind of shape to them. There weren't a lot though. It was a pretty murky day overall.

She even watched her parent's car pull in, only to be turned away by the police after a ten minute argument.

All she could do was shrug. She had tried to warn them not to bother.

"Ashido."

Around five in the afternoon, she heard a voice that made her eyes roll, and her chest tighten in annoyance and anger. Her hands turned into tight fists,

"…Kirishima."

She didn't turn to look at him. She just didn't want to. She couldn't even stomach the idea of looking at him right now, after everything that had gone down the previous night. She could see his reflection in the mirror anyway. She didn't particularly care to see much else.

The Hardening Quirk user didn't really say anything for a short while, instead just standing there. From his reflection, Mina saw that he looked uncomfortable, and there was a very clear amount of regret on his face. Probably for hitting her like he had done. He didn't seem able to look at her, even if it was just the back of her head. At the same time, he seemed like he was waiting for her to look at him before he kept on talking. It took him a few moments before he realized that this wasn't going to happen.

"I… I wanted to apologize." He finally spoke, forcing himself to look towards her. "I shouldn't've hit you like I did. I'm sorry."

"Fine." Was all Mina said. If she were getting right down to the most basic level, that wasn't what had bothered her. She had dealt with plenty of physical pain over the last couple of days. A knife through her hand, scars all along her knuckles and wrists, and the training hell that had been the Summer Camp. Suffering from physical agony was certainly something that she was used to. Kirishima's punch hadn't even particularly hurt her all that much to boot. It had been the shock, more than anything that had made Mina react the way that she had – Blankly staring at him and then leaving the second he told her that she had to either make peace with Bakugou being on the rescue mission, or not to bother coming along. That had been where the vast majority or her anger had come from. That was where the actual apology should lay. If that wasn't what he was here for…

Then Mina couldn't bring herself to care.

"….Look, I don't know what's going on at this point, Ashido." Kirishima admitted, with a sigh. "I know we don't exactly know one another that well, but I've always thought I at least understood you on some level. But… after that whole incident yesterday, I really don't know anymore." His hands receded into his pockets as he spoke, as his red eyes started looking straight at her. "Midoriya means a lot to you. I get that. And I don't know exactly what's gone down between him and Bakugou – "

"I told you everything that went down. Bakugou admitted to it."

"I don't know specifics! I don't know exactly what's been going on! Bakugou won't talk about anything specifically, and you've been locked up in here all day!" He ran a hand through his dyed red hair before he let out a sigh. "The only things that I'm certain on are these: Midoriya and Bakugou have a rough history. You and Midoriya have been lying to everyone since you ended up together…. And Midoriya's apparently got some sort of Quirk that can be…. Passed onto other people?" Mina saw his eye in the reflection quirk as he said it aloud. "I…. That doesn't even make sense…. But you reacted to it so strongly… I don't know what his Quirk has to do with anything, or why Bakugou seems to care so much… Unless he wasn't lying when he said he used to be Quirkless." He paused for a moment. "You see why I have no idea what's going on yet? None of what I'm certain of makes any sense, and just makes me uncertain all over again! What conclusion am I even supposed to make from that?"

Those weren't unreasonable observations, Mina knew. Everything about One For All went against the standardly accepted knowledge of Quirks. It was an unusual superpower, so the idea of Izuku being Quirkless now was just one that made no sense to a lot of people. And everything else, Mina could understand him being confused about. She was close to Izuku when she learned all about it, so she had been able to accept it a lot quicker than most people probably would have been able to. All the same though…. It wasn't like, under the circumstances that everyone else had to accept this under, she didn't understand their skepticism… And confusion. And sudden distrust of her…. And Izuku. From a cold, logical stance… She did understand….

But that was all she'd understand.

"…You need specifics, do you?" She questioned, looking out the window and letting out a long, deep sigh. It was what she did to try and reset her emotional state the best she could. Just doing it did help her feel like some weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. At least a bit. "You know, of everyone in our class, of every single person out there, I thought you, of all people, would understand why I reacted the way I did."

"Ashido – "

"So, 'Horn Buddy', let me spell this out for you." Mina stood up and turned around, finally looking Kirishima directly in the eye. Of everyone that was in the hospital, she'd probably lost her patience with him the most, second only to Bakugou himself. She wasn't in the mood to hold back. Wrong as it may be, this was a way to vent towards someone. "Your friend has taunted Izuku for over a decade. There isn't any point in hiding it anymore, so I'll just admit it – Izuku was Quirkless, even though his parents both have powers. He's told me that himself, and I've met who gave him his power. And before you ask, I'm not telling you who it is." She could see Kirishima's eyes widen at that irrevocable admission. "So, Bakugou taunted Izuku. Bullied him. And I'm not talking about teasing him or making fun of him. I'm talking about beating him up. Assaulting him. Using his Quirk on him."

She glared.

"Telling him to kill himself."

Kirishima gulped.

"That's the guy you've been hanging out with this last semester. He's spent the last ten years beating up someone effectively with a birth defect." She then took a few steps closer towards her middle schoolmate, making it a direct point to be making eye contact. "And you had the gaul to tell me to get over him going to rescue Izuku? I don't know how much clearer I have to get than this – Bakugou is a fucking parasite, and I don't want him anywhere even near Izuku. I don't want Izuku to even think that he owes Bakugou one God damn thing. I don't want Izuku to go back to thinking that Bakugou deserves any sort of sympathy because he did one good thing. This entire mess is his fault anyway. He's more a Villain than he is any kind of Hero."

A second passed.

"Bakugou doesn't deserve to be forgiven for anything he's done." Mina finished. "He's a bully. Plain and simple."

For everything that had been told to his face, Kirishima looked – And there was no other word for it – Mortified. Horrified at everything that he'd just been told. His eyes were wide and he looked like he was sweating. For better or worse, and in this case, Mina had no doubts that it was for the worse, Kirishima tried to find the best in people, Bakugou included, but if there was one type of person that he disliked in particular, it was, like her, bullies. He hated them just as much as she did, and would try to stop them from harassing their victims, even though he often failed during middle school because his Quirk was weaker back then.

There was no way that he could have known this. And Mina didn't blame him for not knowing. It wasn't his fault that his Quirk wasn't Precognition or Psychometry. It wasn't his fault Izuku had kept quiet about everything that had gone down between the two of them. It wasn't Kirishima's fault in any way at all…

"… E….Even if that's all true…" He said, looking down to the ground. "…. We…. We can't turn down any help. We don't…. We don't have that luxury, Ashido."

Mina glared at him for a few seconds, and then sighed. Even though she knew he was right… "Then there isn't really any reason for you to still be in here."

"Ashido – "

"Get the fuck out." Mina flatly said. "I'll see you tonight, when we go rescue Izuku. Just don't expect me to be friendly towards you or your fucking buddy."

For a moment, it looked like Kirishima was preparing to fight his corner, but he quickly decided against it, and let out a sigh of his own. This wasn't an argument that he was going to win in any real capacity, and he didn't even really feel like fighting it in the first place, given everything that he'd learned about Bakugou right now. Confusion still wrecked throughout his brain, but he…. He had enough to work with. Any more, and his brain was probably going to explode.

Without any further words from him, Kirishima left, sliding the door shut behind him. All Mina could do in response was sigh yet again.

That had been… Drastically out of character for her, but in her defense… Laying everything flat out like that to him? Making it all as clear cut as she could for him? Only for him to decide that the best course of action was to still have Bakugou on the team?...

Maybe it was him making the right call. Maybe she was just being driven by emotion more than anything. A part of her acknowledged this… But she couldn't help herself.

Bakugou was just the one person right now she couldn't even stomach…

* * *

…It made it all the weirder to her why she even bothered to come to speak the guy about two hours later.

Being admitted into the hospital himself, he'd been given a room. No one really had much luck when it came to confining him to it, but he had remained there for a lot of the day, purely by his own will. Mina found herself standing outside his door, thinking for a moment why she was even here in the first place. What was it that she hoped to accomplish, she asked herself.

What did she even want to achieve? There was no real reason to be here, and she would gain nothing from this. All it was going to serve to do was make her even angrier. Maybe that was why she wanted to do it. Angry was something other than just being sad. Shaking with fury was better than crying. Angry got things done. Anger was a good motivator. Being angry was better than being said.

Honestly, all she wanted to do was just yell at the guy, and make her stance abundantly clear. But what would it seriously accomplish? It wasn't going to make her feel better, she knew, so why did she even want to bother?

Again, being angry was better than just being depressed, waiting for the clock to tick down… But it wasn't like she enjoyed being angry. She didn't like being someone to start fights. She never did otherwise. It didn't make her feel better, and it wasn't going to feel better now… So why she did it was just a question in itself.

She didn't really have much of an answer. Why she was even here at all was a complete and total mystery to her, one that she didn't know how to answer. How to even begin answering. She didn't really need one though. She hated the guy. That was really all that she needed, when she thought about it.

Slamming into his door with her fist twice to alert the guy that he was coming in was honestly more than he deserved. After that, she pretty much just invited herself into his room, and slamming the door shut behind her.

For his part, Bakugou just stared at her as she entered the room. Like she had been, he was just staring out of the room, watching the world pass by behind him. One had was shoved into his pocket. His red eyes quickly met Mina's black and golden ones, burrowed into a glare. There was silence for a moment. Neither of them said a word.

Both of them just stood still, staring at one another. Mina, trying her best not to outright just run over and punch the guy in the throat, and Bakugou staring back at her, like she were just some dejected lunatic. He clearly thought very little of her in that moment, and it showed in his expressions. And his words.

"You need to calm the fuck down, Ashido. You're not going to save anyone if you're emotional."

The very first words Bakugou had to say to her, and he was going to try to give her a lecture? Him, of all people, wanted to talk to her about rescuing people? The guy who spent his time trying to prove he was the best at blowing things up rather than capable of rescuing people?

He was good at riling people up. Mina would certainly give him that.

"Like you've ever cared about saving anyone." She flatly retorted. "You're the one person here who doesn't even give the slightest crap about rescuing people. All we've ever seen you do is try to fight. That's the reason the Villains even wanted you in the first place."

"I'm here trying to save Deku, aren't I?"

"You think that makes everything that you've done okay?!"

"I don't particularly care if it makes things okay or not." The blond boy said, taking his eyes off of the pink girl and looking out the window once again. Mind could see his right arm tensing up as he did so, like he were clutching onto something in his pockets. "The fact is, I'm going along if you like it or not. I was in a cell with the guy. I spoke with him, and I watched his fucking Quirk getting ripped form his body." He looked towards her with his eye, but he didn't move his body at all. "If you think that you're going to tell me who the fuck I can save and who I can't save, I'll throw you out this window right now, Ashido."

Growls now made their way out of Mina's lips. She hated not knowing what had happened to Izuku, and that her only source of information had to come from this bastard right in front of her.

"Let me make myself as clear to you as possible, Bakugou."

His red eyes once again locked gaze contact with hers.

"I hate you. I hate you with every single fiber of my entire being. You're not a Hero. You don't even deserve to be in Yuuei."

Saying it out loud, saying it to his face… If she were being honest, it didn't feel good. It didn't make her feel better.

But she'd be damned if someone didn't do this. It had been a long time coming for this guy. Someone needed to say this all point blank to his face. It might as well be her.

"You are nothing but a bully with a powerful Quirk. That's all that you have ever been. That's all you're ever going to be. Izuku is a better Hero than you. He's a better Hero than me. He's a better Hero than every single person in all of Yuuei, and you've been beating him down because you want to hang onto this bullshit idea that you're better. That you're stronger. And you had the fucking nerve to reveal Izuku's Quirk to everyone?"

It honestly was taking everything she had in her not to attack him outright. It really was.

"If it were up to me, Izuku would be here. And he'd want to go and save you. And I'd be trying my best to convince him to leave you to fucking. Rot."

Bakugou didn't say anything in response. Her words hadn't phased him.

Not that she was surprised. Bakugou was so self-absorbed he simply didn't care for the opinions of those around him. She didn't know what she had thought would happen.

She turned around, and started to make her way out. She hadn't achieved anything that she came her to achieve. Why had she bothered again? What had she expected, honestly? Shaking her head, she realized that she didn't even feel particularly angry after it had all come out.

Just… Empty.

It wasn't until she reached the door to the room that she realized what a waste of time that this had honestly been. Nothing about this had been even slightly worth it.

Why had she…

Why….

…

Her heart froze. She'd only seen it by chance – Pure chance. Her eye just managed to capture it out of the corner of her eye, and seeing it at all was simply pure luck. The first stroke of luck she'd had in the last week or so.

Not that she felt even remotely lucky at all.

They were hidden under the lampshade that was on Bakugou's nightstand, and it was merely a single corner of them that Mina saw. They looked like paper. One folded up, and another outright kept unfolded.

Curiosity made Mina move the nightstand.

And realization made her eyes widen in horror.

Pictures of Izuku. Beaten, broken and bloodied. Several of them, some stacked on top of one another, one or two were hidden using angles more to hide the images behind the lamp. His arms were torn apart, broken, and Mina could swear she saw something black growing from them, though she prayed to Christ it was dirt. For the first time in her life…. And in this situation especially, Mina couldn't think of Izuku being the important part of this context. Somehow, it got worse than this though.

The pictures were wet. With what…. Mina didn't even want to know.

"...Bakugou."

It was a hunch. If it turned out wrong, then another serious conversation needed to be had.

"What."

If it was right….

"…Use your Quirk."

"What? What're you - "

As Bakugou turned, he saw that Mina had moved the lamp. Now it was his time to freeze. It was the closest to shock that he'd shown since he returned.

Mina just looked at him. There was no anger now though.

Just fear. Downright fear. If this hunch was right... Then everyone in this hospital was in serious danger.

"Bakugou… I want to be wrong on this here… Please tell me I'm wrong. Please tell me that the Villains just gave you these to try and demoralize us... Or try to make the Heroes consider negotiations… Or… O-Or something… I…"

Her breathing increased. As did her heart beat.

"Use your Quirk. Prove that you're the person you say you are."

Bakugou didn't move. He didn't blink. He didn't do anything.

He just continued to look at Mina.

"…You always called me Raccoon eyes..." Mina suddenly realized. Oddities in Bakugou's behavior... His quieter demeanor... His use of proper names... Everything was starting to click together. "You never called me Ashido before... You never called anyone but Uraraka by her name before..."

Things suddenly made sense.

Way too much sense.

Why would the villains release Bakugou after all of that?

What would that gain?

Why would Bakugou just accept everything that was said about him without retaliation?

Why would Bakugou reveal everything like he had?

Why would any of this gone down like it had?

The two of them just stared at one another, without a single word between them. Mina's eyes wide open in abject horror. Bakugou's eyes narrow as he glared.

"...You know something, _Mina_?"

His hand retracted from his pocket.

I hate you too."

From his hand, he displayed a black, cylindrical object. He then flipped it open.

A switchblade knife.

His eyes went from red to yellow.

He smirked.

And his voice turned horrifyingly feminine.

"So I'ma stab you."

* * *

 **GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.**

 **This took a while to finish. Really sorry it took so long. Uni and everything have been getting in the way. I've been trying ;-;  
So - TWIST - Lotta you were concerned about Bakugou – And you were fucking right to be it turns out. This should be fun to see you guys try and guess. It's honestly hilarious to watch. **

**Mina was…. Difficult this chapter. There were a lot of characters she needed to interact with, and getting that feeling of depression, hope, determination, and anger towards a lot of them felt like I was just repeating myself, but it's difficult to think of ways that vary who she's pissed with, how much, and why. I see her having a lot of things to say to people in this context. And she might not necessarily say them as calmly as she normally would. She was difficult this chapter, but I hope I caught her well.**

 **Because of the awkward timing, I feel the need to specify this - I don't see Kirishido as a romantic thing, but the timing here was** _really bad_ **. (Chapter 163 of the manga came out recently) The reason I don't see it like this because the writing honestly was horrible in my eyes. Right now they don't even seem to be friends. I can see the two as friends though, but that's as far as it can go in my eyes. And these two as friends would be amazing.**  
 **This was honestly planned because Kirishima was in the rescue operation, and I thought it would be fun to play around with a conflict between two normally cheerful characters. I felt the need to disclose my dislike and what the planning that was involved because of the recent chapter. Mostly to say that this wasn't me trying to attack anyone or anything they might enjoy, even though... It does kinda look like it with the last couple chapters.  
** **Just bare with me on this? Please?**

 **Not a lot to say otherwise. – I think the work speaks for itself. I hope you enjoyed though.  
** **This is getting fun.**  
 **Mwuahaha.**


	49. Before The Night Is Over

There wasn't really a lot that Izuku was afraid of while he was tied up in a Villains basement. And that didn't really make a whole lot of sense when he thought about it. Not even slightly. His arms were shattered beyond all belief, yet somehow he was still conscious, and unable to feel any of the inevitably excruciating agony that was going throughout his entire system, in a nearly pitch black and cold basement, with some of the most dangerous criminals that he'd ever met in the other room still debating on what to do with both him and Bakugou. With both of them unable to do anything to stop them thanks to their powers both being restricted for various reasons, the pair was helpless, unable to combat any choice that the Villains were going to make. The entire reason that they wanted the Explosion Quirk user in the first place was still unclear, and that should, in any real, sane person's case, make them even more afraid of their captors. Held hostage and not even knowing why they were being held hostage? That should freak anyone out, or at least psychologically torture them. Perhaps that was the entire point of keeping them in the dark, both literally and figuratively, though that was just speculation at this point.

All the various attitudes and personalities of these individuals certainly didn't help in making the two students here feel any sort of ease whatsoever. Quite a number of the Villains here seemed entirely devoted to the ideals of Stain, even though the League Of Villains didn't stand for any of those tenants, by Shigaraki's own admission to Izuku back in the Kiyashi Mall. So he'd either changed his mind about that completely in the space of a few days, or was taking advantage of the faith that these people had in the Hero Killer. Two in particular were noteworthy in this area – The Fire Quirk user whom Izuku had picked up as Dabi, and the lizard-like one whom he had learned was called Spinner, at least as an alias, through the conversations that he'd managed to overhear. Both idealized Stain, bordering to the point of fanaticism. In Spinners case, it was pretty much fundamental adherence to all of his idols philosophies. Given Izuku's history with said serial killer, this should have made him uneasy.

Dr. Compress and another member, whom Bakugou claimed to have picked up was known as Magne, seemed to be slightly more sane and reasonable than the others, though that didn't exactly mean they were stable in any way. Both were smart and, in spite of the limitations that they had, their Quirks could easily be used to devastating effects. Years of time to practice their abilities, and no doubt hours spent figuring out the ins and outs and limitations of their abilities gave them a unique and bizarre advantage against a lot of their opponents that many just wouldn't be able to see coming. In some ways, their ability to be rational was even more horrifying. They weren't going to be blinded by idealism, and they'd be more likely to be a lot smarter than those who were acting on faith and fundamentalism. Not to mention the one called Kurogiri, the mist guy with the Warp Gate Quirk. He alone made everything that Izuku could think of difficult, and near downright impossible to escape from. Not a single plan that Izuku had formulated was able to get around Kurogiri's existence, which made him a seriously major obstacle to get by. His Warping Quirk was simply much too effective at keeping people in place.

Then there were the downright insane. Toga, Twice, and Shigaraki were perfect examples of people who simply put were not stable. The ones who just fell right outside all semblances of stability and ended up downright terrifying because of them. Those who had broken minds, or brains that were twisted from the moment that they entered the world.

Any number of things could make someone like that horrifying. Malicious and harmful, broken and twisted personalities, medical conditions like homicidal psychopathy or sociopathy, or in some cases, just being broken in more varied ways. Everything from the lunatics to the downright psychotic existed on this spectrum, and were to be feared by any sane and rational individual.

Toga in particular was one that Izuku was concerned over. Blatantly psychotic and obsessive – Specifically over him, for whatever twisted reason – to the point of sometimes just standing there, trying to amicably and cheerfully chat and converse with him, and making off comments about how attractive she found him whilst he was drenched in blood and beaten black and blue. At one point, she had even attempted to make her way inside the cell to, in her words, 'Adjust' him, though Shigaraki prevented her from doing such a thing, claiming that the green haired boys use wasn't finished. What his use was, he still didn't know.

If Izuku had a single bone in his body that was worth any kind of rational sense, he should have been terrified. Terrified of the Villains. Particularly terrified of Toga and Shigaraki. Terrified for his own safety, and his own life.

But he just wasn't.

He wasn't scared of these Villains, and he wasn't afraid of what they could do to him. What they would say they were going to do with him, or anything else even remotely along those lines. Not right now, anyway. He just didn't have it in him to care about that sort of thing. Like the cold that left him barely any ability to feel anything in his surrounding area, his ability to feel fear simply was non-existent right now. He just didn't care. Not right now.

So maybe he was j the one that was going insane.

Yet to him, there were far more pressing matters at the forefront of his mind right now.

"… Kacchan?" He called out quietly, so as not to alert the Villains that he was attempting to communicate with his fellow hostage. The Villains might not even do anything if they learned that the two of them were talking, but he didn't feel comfortable in any way with letting them know that they were having a conversation. He just didn't want to risk the possibility of them being heard and listened in on. "Kacchan? Are you alright?"

"Fuckin' vampire bitch drained a bunch of blood from me, how do you think I'm doing?"

A sigh escaped Izuku's lips as Bakugou's response came flying at him. They were the first words that the constantly angry teenager had said to him in quite a while after the incident, but he didn't seem to be too badly affected. It was as good as he knew he was going to get to the Explosion Quirk user basically admitting that he was okay – Pissed off and angry, and passive aggressive. Were his hands free, he'd no doubt be downright aggressive, and trying to blow a hole through the walls, or the metal bars that made up his cell if that wasn't going to work out for him. He wasn't yelling, but that was probably because he didn't want the Villains to hear the two of them just as much as Izuku didn't want them to.

That Villain, the girl, Toga, was unsettling for a worryingly large number of reasons. Her very clear and prevalence psychosis, her total obsession with Izuku despite not even knowing the guy for more than what amounted to a few conversations, her violent tendencies, the fact she hadn't been seen without a knife, and the further fact that she was disturbingly cheerful in her sadism all mixed into making this girl one of the scariest people in the League. Someone so cheerfully unhinged and armed with deadly weaponry – She was dangerous. She was probably one of the most dangerous people here.

Especially considering her Quirk.

Before being warped away right in front of the pair of Yuuei pupils, the mentally unstable blonde had demonstrated her power after taking a large sum of Bakugou's blood, and a small amount of Izuku's, the latter of which she was giggling and blushing to herself about throughout the entire process. Based on what Izuku could understand from what he'd seen, Toga's Quirk wasn't particularly powerful in terms of sheer destructive power. Compared to a lot of those in Yuuei, and in the League of Villains itself, her power was actually fairly weak, since it didn't enhance her combat prowess whatsoever. Nothing like Muscular's Muscle Augmentation Quirk, or Dabi's flame powers. Nothing like One For All, or like Acid, or Explosion, but when in the hands of the person that it was in, the damage that it could do was not at all negligible.

For someone like Toga, the Quirk was perfect. On a practicality stance, it seemed to function by ingesting blood from her chosen target, whereupon she gained the ability the transform her appearance into the person that she taken blood from. The transformation recreated the person that she wanted to disguise herself as to a near flawless degree, with the exclusion of some cuts and blood that she had splattered over her recreation – Her Quirk apparently allowing her just a small bit of creative flexibility in this respect.

Making it the perfect power for infiltration, provided that she had access to someone who was a member of the group that she wanted to infiltrate to regularly get blood from, and to prevent there being two of the same person in one location, then she could probably keep that infiltration up for as long as she desired. Since they Villains held onto two Yuuei pupils, the risk of detection was minimal…

The thing that made this Quirk, and this girl particularly dangerous, was just how much knowledge she had about both Bakugou and Izuku. This was a person whom belonged to a group of criminals that seemed to know a disturbing amount about the Hero course and its students. They knew their names and Quirks thanks to the Sports Festival, and they had been able to get at least a rough idea for the sort of people both their hostages were just by watching them, from the snippets they had from publicly available clips of the students, and what little bits of interaction they had had with everyone during the Forest Lodge attack. They knew how to overpower them, and those who had fought against the tougher members of the class were capable of telling the blood drinking girl the various ways to avoid such attacks, and how to avoid getting into such scenarios in the first place, full stop.

It didn't take much to figure out that she was using her disguise to try and infiltrate the rest of their classmates. What they had chosen Bakugou for was honestly uncertain. There may have been a reason for them selecting the Explosion Quirk user, or it might have been a totally random selection process. Either way, given that Bakugou had been the Villains initial target… Sending 'Him' back would no doubt be the cause of a large amount of discussion and possibly controversy surrounding Yuuei.

And again… While it was at the forefront of Izuku's head…

He wasn't worried. "…It's been maybe a day since that girl left, right?... She must be interacting with everyone right about now…"

"You do know what that Vampire's gonna do, right?"

Glaring at his former friend, Bakugou flatly questioned the current One For All inheritor, with little to no emotion in what he was saying. He voiced little concern, though it was probably due to the fact that he wasn't one to openly show concern for others in the same way that most other people would be comfortable showing it. His expression though, did convey a slightly different feel. More towards the lines of curiosity and a small trace of what seemed to be inquiry. There was still absolutely clear anger towards virtually everything around the blond boy, towards Toga, the Villains, and just about everything about the last day.

Day and a half? Two days? Izuku honestly wasn't too sure how much time had passed anymore. He had been forcing himself to stay awake since he regained consciousness, because he didn't want to risk the Villains sneaking up on them and doing something - Who knew what - To them. Mixed in with his shattered arms, and the rest of his injuries that hadn't been treated, and with the stress and concern he had about what was happening to the outside world... He simply had no idea how what had happened to him had affected his perception of the passage of time. It could have been a week since he'd been anywhere else, and he wouldn't be able to tell.

Though they looked greyer due to the darkness of the room, Bakugou's red eyes met with Izuku's green ones. It was hard to see the emotion that Bakugou no doubt had within them, but Izuku guessed that they were just as full of that particular brand of rage that he was known for.

Perhaps it was because the pair of them had been kidnapped together, or maybe it was because he had been forced to spend a large chunk of time with Izuku, even if it was against his will. Maybe it was because they were in this terrible situation together, or maybe it was just because there was little else to do. Whatever the reason was though, he was actually speaking to Izuku in a more civilized manner. Or as civil as one could be given their situation. He would still yell when he felt that it didn't matter if the Villains heard what he had to say or not, or if he was just pissed off by whatever Izuku did or said. He'd usually find something to be annoyed at Izuku with if there wasn't something blatantly in front of him.

There just wasn't the same irritation that there normally was in his voice. Perhaps it was that he'd managed to force himself to calm down to try to assess the situation better. Maybe he just didn't care enough in this situation. Maybe there were more important things on the easily angered boy's mind.

"… Yeah." Of course Izuku knew. There wasn't any doubt to what was that she was doing. There was no other reason for her taking their blood, and using her Quirk. There was no other reason for her to be warped away by the Warp Gate Quirk user. Her plan was clear.

Merge into the rest of the group, and hurt them. Attack them from the inside.

If Toga's obsession with her green-eyed hostage was anything to go by… The thought did make him shudder, but there was absolutely no doubt in his mind.

Izuku already knew who her target was going to be. Toga was going to target Mina.

Target for what... When he thought about what Toga no doubt planned to do, it should have sent a shiver up Izuku's spine. It should have made him try to batter his way out of his cell with everything that he had. It should have made him cry and scream and fight like hell to stop her before she was warped away.

And yet… He wasn't worried.

"So, what, you don't give a shit?" Bakugou questioned, almost like he was reading Izuku's thoughts. Maybe he had better eyesight in the dark and was able to read Izuku's expression, or it was just the resigned tone of his fellow hostage that brought him to this conclusion. "So, that fucking Vampire psycho can stab up Raccoon Eyes and you won't give a shit?"

"Of course I care!"

Izuku spoke loudly and flatly, his very tone making it abundantly clear to the spiky haired blond that he wasn't going to allow himself to be accused of not caring for the fate of the person he held dear. It was the only time he ever raised his voice towards the far more volatile boy, at least in conversation like this. It was the first time he'd done that to anyone else for that matter. The truth was, he was worried. At least, he was worried as much as anyone would be for their significant other.

He was incredibly concerned for Mina's safety. He was concerned about everyone's safety. With someone as maniacal as Toga on the prowl, anyone who was unfortunate enough to fall for her trickery was going to be in immeasurable danger. A knife to the back, picking people off one by one, figuring out classified information from the Heroes, sabotaging their group from the inside… There were so many ways that he could see it all going horrendously wrong. How every single scenario that he could think of was more than likely to end up with catastrophe for the rest of Class 1A…

If Toga just played everything by ear, and went along with what people knew and said about Bakugou, and based on what she also knew about his personality… Then her disguise was going to be incredibly convincing. What she would do exactly was still a matter of debate…

And while Izuku was concerned about his girlfriend and his friend's safety…

"…But… Everyone in our class… Especially Mina…" He quietly said, looking at his shattered arms as he did so. Like they were reminders of his own limits, the barriers that he just wasn't going to be able to push aside while he was like this…

While he was weak. Too weak to even control the power that had been invested into him. Too weak to save a single person.

Too weak to save himself.

Mina though… His friends… His classmates… "…Everyone is strong." He said, his voice not wavering at all as he spoke, with confidence and certainty in the people he was talking about. "Everyone can… Mina…" A brief pause, as he remembered his girlfriend's pink face, smiling gently as he recalled the features that gave her that unique and bizarre appearance. "…Mina is strong. Everyone is. I… They can look after themselves. They can figure it out… And fight off that Villain. Of course I'm concerned, Kacchan…"

His eyed moved back to look at Bakugou, to make eye contact. To try to convey what little hope he had about the situation. He wasn't worried, but he was concerned. That was the only coherent way he could think to put it...

"…But I have faith in her."

* * *

Initially, it didn't quite register to Mina that she was being charged at with a knife, aimed straight for her throat. It was so sudden, and she had been so right in her guess, that it almost felt surreal. Like a dream almost. Like nothing that was happening in front of her was real. Or rather, she didn't want any of it to be real. She wanted it to just be some sort of joke. Some kind of illusion by someone who had a Quirk that could project imagery. Something that meant that this wasn't the real situation that she was going to have to deal with. That this wasn't how she had been tricked. That this wasn't happening.

Bakugou had, for the longest time, been nothing but scum to her. Someone who was only here because Izuku was the better, more forgiving, and downright merciful person, and had kept quiet. His Quirk was strong and he himself was a skilled fighter, which was how he entered Yuuei in the first place, but she didn't have any doubts that a school, famous for its Heroism emphasis would just allow someone who had been a colossal bully previously to just remain with them. There would be questions, and investigations about such a thing, like a criminal who was now applying for the police. He was only even in Yuuei because Izuku hadn't ratted him out. Scummy things kept happening from him though. Everyone saw, and just assumed that had been how he'd always been. Like he was someone who was aggressively short tempered, and hyper-competitive. Really, the only people who had known what he'd really, truly been like, were Izuku and Mina.

An overview would be good enough though. That was why she'd fallen for this disguise. That was why she'd fallen for this person and their tricks. His personality was so clear for anyone to see, that the Sports Festival would be all the reference someone needed to get an idea as to how Bakugou functioned.

Tricking someone into believing they were Bakugou wouldn't really be too difficult - Just shout and swear a lot. That was how everyone had been tricked.

And that was why Mina was about to get herself killed.

She didn't make any effort to move as the impersonator charged for her, switchblade knife held downwards, and raised, ready to plunge into her flesh. Her legs didn't freeze in place. She wasn't even that scared of what was happening in front of her. There wasn't any fear that was keeping her in place. There wasn't any terror.

No, what was keeping her locked in place was sheer disbelief. Shock. Bewilderment. Lots of confusion, and another bundle of questions that she now had to add to the already exorbitantly long list.

A Quirk of some sort?

How did this 'Bakugou' know her first name?

Why were they using her first name?

An imposter?

Brainwashing?

What in the hell was going on? These were the questions, the things that were running around in the pink girl's head. Suddenly, the last day had to be called into question completely. Every single word, every single sentence, interaction, and action that 'Bakugou' had taken had to be analyzed and thought about carefully.

Why was this person here?

What did they want?

What had their plan been from the get go?

Suddenly, next to nothing about the last twenty-four hours made any sense whatsoever. everything that 'Bakugou' had done... Everything that she'd done... It had all been part of some sort of plan?

How did this person know about One For All?

How did they know Izuku was the one who had inherited it?

Did this confirm what All Might had said? That All For One was the one lurking in the shadows, without any question anymore?

Had Izuku's Quirk been stolen? Had that been true? Was Izuku now Quirkless again?... Or had that just been yet another lie, designed to make Mina lose her mind and confirm what the imposter had said?

Did... Did she just reveal Izuku's Quirkless nature...

... For no reason?...

"Die, you skank!"

The sudden insult thrown her way suddenly shot her back into the reality of the situation in front of her. The Bakugou replicator had clambered over the bed in the room, and was now halfway through falling back to the ground, with her knife now rapidly descending toward the Acid Quirk user. Everything suddenly returned to its normal time frame for her.

She was being attacked. And her body suddenly realized it.

She was going to die if she didn't react to this threat.

Something she downright refused to do right now.

Mina ducked, managing to narrowly avoid a knife to the throat by the literal hair on the top of her head. Had she been a single second later in that regard, she wouldn't have made it. Sharply, she adjusted her head, to lock eyes with her attacker's yellow ones, and, pushing herself off the wall with her left hand, slammed her right fist into the gut the impersonator, aiming straight for the stomach with the goal to knock the air straight out of their system, and maybe bring this fight to a quick, decisive end.

No such luck.

Though she did manage to hit her target, it didn't have the devastating effect that Mina had hoped that it would have. Her opponent did stagger for the briefest of moments, but they 'Bakugou', simply got back up, and prepared to swipe against Mina again, this time, aiming for the chest - A larger target, and one that would be harder to avoid a strike against.

"Get back!"

Mina yelled aloud just reflexively, throwing a back - right - leg kick, aimed directly towards her targets torso one again, the intention to be to knock the knife wielding person back, to try and give her enough time to fire up her Quirk, or make a run for it - Which one yet, she hadn't fully made up her mind on. She was mostly playing this entire fight by ear, and hoping to God that it worked somehow.

Unlike her kick attack.

This time, her attacker seemed mostly unphased, her hit making her mark in a more bony and protected area. Maybe against the hip bone or somewhere that her target simply wasn't going to feel much pain in. Though she'd put in as much force as she could into that one kick, it hadn't done much. It only bought her a second before she was being charged at again.

'Bakugou' was relentless. Unwilling to back down, and not letting any of Mina's stopping attacks get the better of them.

Another charge. This time, Mina didn't have the time to react like she had before.

She had maybe one second.

One second before a knife would enter her jugular vein and end her life.

Right then and there.

Without any prayer of survival.

No.

No way.

No!

"Not like this!" Her right arm darted at the quickest speed Mina could manage, slinging to attempt to grab either the knife or the arm, whichever came into contact first, with her Quirk coating her palms in a thick layer of the deadliest Acid she could manage.

It was a completely in vain effort - She was simply too late to be able to make contact with her target in any way. A layer or two of Acid where the knife would hit her wasn't going to stop the blade from slicing into her flesh, and it certainly wasn't going to be enough to save her life. Her legs simply weren't going to cut it. As she moved her arm, she was still bringing her leg back from the previous kick. Even dropping all the strength in her leg and falling down onto the ground wouldn't help her survive for more than a single second longer, and being on the ground would leave her with even fewer options to defend herself, and less ways to evade her target.

And her hand simply wasn't going to be able to reach its target in time.

So this was it.

"Die!" 'Bakugou' screamed at the top of 'his' voice, plunging the knife straight towards the acidic girls exposed neck.

She was going to die here.

Not only was she going to die here... She wasn't able to just say that she was sorry.

To Izuku.

That was the only thing that was going through her mind right now.

Just how royally she had fucked everything up. That that was how Izuku was going to remember her. That she wouldn't even get to say that she was sorry. It was just going to end like this.

Unceremonious. Helpless. Certainly less than Heroic. She wasn't going to die fighting Villains or protecting civilians. She'd end up being discovered by someone who expected to find Bakugou. Maybe not even for days before someone realized something was wrong while this imposter hid her corpse.

What a way to go.

Still - She wasn't going to just accept it without a fight. Every single shred of energy went into pushing her arm faster and faster, not that it would do her even the slightest bit of -

"Ashido!"

Everything that happened next became a blur.

Within the short space of a second, what should have been the last second of her entire life, the entire situation changed around the pink girl.

The first thing that had changed was that her vision was now no longer relaying the image of 'Bakugou', smiling and grinning sadistically as he screamed and made his best effort to shove a knife into her body. Instead, she was greeted with a short-sleeved jacket, suddenly in front of her, the sound of metal snapping and ringing out throughout the room: a distinct clinking as sharp metal hit the ground. time stopped once again, for a few seconds this time.

Muscular arms extended from either of the sleeves, hardened as rock, open wide, to protect anyone from getting through his guard. to stop her from being attacked all over again. That should have been what gave her savior away. Clearly it was the work of a Quirk. a Quirk Mina was familiar with. But for some reason, in her adrenaline-fueled system, that wasn't a clear indicator of who the one who saved her life was.

What finally gave it away, after just a few seconds of total cluelessness, was long, spiky, red hair.

Red hair she knew wasn't natural.

Standing in front of her, taking the attack for her, with his Quirk active to protect them both, was Kirishima.

As soon as Mina realized this, time suddenly began again.

"Rraaaaaaaaaargggghhh!" Hardening his right arm to be as strong and as durable as it could possibly ever be, Kirishima suddenly took a step forward towards his stunned opponent, caught off guard by his sudden entrance and quick reflexive defense of his classmate, and launched a solid, straight forwards reverse - punch that was aimed at and connected, straight for the side of 'Bakugou's', face. The red eyed boy didn't hold anything back whatsoever.

The impact was loud.

And the imposter was suddenly sent reeling back, knocked almost straight across the room. A combination of shock, letting their guard down, and the pure strength that Kirishima possessed all combined in causing the Bakugou lookalike to be knocked right off their feet and sent flying towards the other side of the room.

It wasn't until everything settled down for a moment that Mina was able to use her words again. All she was able to do was take a single step to the side to get a better look at the one whom had saved her, to see his face, his sharpened teeth on display as he bore them like fangs. Shock was evident in her system. All she could say was his name. "Kirishima?!"

Thoughts intruded her brain as she looked at her classmate. What the hell was he even doing here? Where had he come from?

Why had he bothered to rescue her after the way she'd spoken to him just a few hours ago?...

"I heard screaming. Got here as quick as I could." He explained briefly, before looking towards the Acid Quirk user. "You alright, Ashido?"

Black and gold eyes were met with red ones. Mina had a ton of questions that she needed answering at the soonest point possible. Part of her was tempted, against all rationality, to demand some answers right here and now, but the smarter part of her told her that now certainly was not the time.

Fight now. Speak later.

"... Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." Mina shook her head, before taking a step forward, and stood next to her middle schoolmate, her Quirk causing her to generate little droplets of corrosive liquid from her palms. "He didn't get me. I can still fight, no problem."

'Bakugou', picked themselves up from the ground, the yellow eyes still staring daggers into the Hardening and Acid Quirk users. For a moment, the entire building was completely silent, at least to Mina, while silent exchanges were passed between the two of them, and this unknown person in the form of her classmate. Their eyes darted between the girl whom had been their target just a few moments ago, to the red-haired boy with razor sharp teeth that had just arrived. No one moved. No one dared to right now.

"That isn't Bakugou." Kirishima stated flatly, and obviously. Though he certainly wasn't saying it for the benefit of Mina. She already knew. Incredibly well. His voice was strained, and everything about him suggested pain. Mina could see that his eyes were narrowed, and there was a lot of strain them. There was pain in them. A mixture of other things that for someone like Kirishima, whom hid his self-doubt behind a confident facade, spoke way too loudly. The cracks in his shield, in his hardened state, was just too loud. "Some sort of Shape-Shifting Quirk?..."

He wasn't saying any of this to benefit Mina in any way.

He was saying this to himself.

He was going to have problems once this entire event was over and done with. A lot of things were about to be dropped onto him, and he was going to have to figure out how he was going to deal with those issues. Everything that this implied. Everything that had happened because he trusted this person blindly, that he trusted Bakugou over Mina. These were things that would be to be addressed, and even though there was a threat right in front of him, Kirishima couldn't stop himself from thinking about them right now, though he knew that he shouldn't be.

There were bigger issues to deal with.

"What've you done with Bakugou, you bastard?" He growled, hardening his skin even more around his fists, and feeling his power starting to stretch up his neck and over his cheeks. Frustration, anger, and raw emotion causing his Quirk to overexert across his body. He could even feel the roots of his hair turning rock solid, accompanied with the clinking noise his skin made when his power activated. Even in spite of everything right now, he was trying to be strong.

There wasn't any response given. Just a cold, answerless stare. No emotion. No meaning. No nothing as 'Bakugou' stared back at him, without response, without care.

"Where's Izuku?!" Heavy breathing accompanied Mina's loud demand, her entire being shaking with unrepressed rage and frustrated anger. Hopelessness and fear, desperation and simply hoping to God that she might be able to get some sort of answer, somehow, in some way, from this intruder. Her Quirk was causing her palms and arms to sweat and secrete her Acid at an uncontrollable rate, not that she was even trying to hold back at all. Her irises small, focused, and shaking within their sockets. Everything that she'd been told about Izuku could, for all she knew, be a complete and total fabrication.

He might still be okay - Quirk and all.

"Where is he?!"

To this, there was a small grin in response. What irritated Mina about that smug smirk was just how self-assured it was, and how totally confident to the point of condensation that it was. Wide, and showing a perfect set of white teeth that mimicked the foul-mouthed teenagers own to a perfect tee, and that voice, high pitched and feminine that contrasted with Bakugou's so much that it was eerie, yet somehow still seemed to replicate the aforementioned males tone of arrogance and superiority. "You won't - "

Suddenly, 'Bakugou', ceased talking, and rapidly clasped their hand over their mouth, almost as if it were to silence themselves altogether. Smugness seemed to rapidly disappear, replaced with concern. Whatever was going on, it wasn't part of their plan, and had caught them off guard.. Their eyes suddenly became much wider and more focused on themselves, looking at their own skin, on the hands, their arms, and their face.

As it began to melt.

That was what it looked like, at least, to the two Yuuei onlookers, rather unhinged by what they were suddenly seeing. Both became uneasy, neither relinquishing their guard, but still feeling rather queasy from the sight in front of them. Kirishima's eyebrows rose alongside his disturb and surprise at what was happening right in front of him. Mina's remained focused, though her eyes somehow became even wider. Was this to do with this impostors Quirk or something? It originated from the impact site where Kirishima had struck his target, which was where the sudden melting was the heaviest.

'Bakugou' growled and returned those yellow eyes back towards the pair of them. With the switchblade in their hand now destroyed, all that was left were a few metallic shards where the grip met the metal, but brought up to about chest height. Mina thought for a moment that they were still intent on trying to gut the pair of them open, and planned on charging in, even though it was now two on one.

Instead, what happened was, even though their skin was literally falling off of them into a pool on the ground, they sliced the nearby curtains up quickly, and dragged the fabric they manage to take along with them across their now completely melting body, prioritizing the chest and allowing the length of the material to cover up their waist. It would have been the perfect time to attack, while their opponent was vulnerable and focused on something else entirely, but both of the students were rooted to the ground, unable to move at all. Unwilling to, uncertainty fueling their actions. "No point in keeping up this disguise..."

Blond hair remained blond, although it became messier. Much more messy and haphazard, like there wasn't even a single day that this hair had been brushed, or even washed, kept up in two equally messy buns at either side of the head. Lots more skin seemed to just drop off of this person, but quickly was revealed to merely be covering up this person's real skin, hidden underneath layers of fake material that looked like flesh. Perfect teeth morphed and disappeared, a pair of vampire - like fangs began to reveal themselves.

A face emerged. One that sent shivers down Mina's spine, and made her feel numb in every single inch of her body, and made her feel like her body was churning up bile in the pit of her stomach. It was that girl. The one that she had encountered when she ran into Uraraka and Tsuyu, during the invasion. The final chunks of skin disappeared, and as they did so, the same crazed smile returned.

It was Toga, the psychotic girl from the League of Villains. The young, dangerous, knife wielding, chipper talking, constantly smiling and messy haired blonde homicidal maniac.

Her stance was off, the majority of her weight shifted onto her left leg, with a hip cocked out. Without her hand covering the area Kirishima had hit, it now dangled along with the rest of her arm just in front of her. And of course, to add everything up, that disturbing creepy smile, where her lips were wound up to reveal her gums as well as her teeth was on clear and wide display. With her back bent and head mostly facing the floor, her eyes rolled up past her eyelids, half covering them, but still allowing her to look directly at the Ashido girl.

"Hey Mina." Toga greeted, tilting her head slightly to the side. "How's your hand? Who's your friend? We've got lots to catch up on!"

"This girl?!" The words left Mina's mouth automatically, before she could even stop them. Her jaw tensed up and her teeth collided, grinding hard against one another.

"You know her?" Kirishima glanced towards her slightly, though his focus was primarily remaining on Toga, whom he felt a very clear intimidation from. His eyes didn't dare leave her person for more than a couple of split seconds at a time.

Their encounters had been very brief, but already she knew more than enough about this girl to at least know what sort of person she was. Mentally unstable and horrifying, and possibly with some kind of vendetta against Mina. That aside, she was still an unknown. "She was with the Villains." As she spat out the final word, Mina felt her right hand twitch and throb along her wound. "And the one who stabbed me through my hand."

The Acid Quirk user felt sweat run down her forehead. Her wound cried out in pain again, and her eyes narrowed even more. There was fear now. Especially of this girl. Suffering a wound like Mina had, anyone would be terrified of their attacker, and she was no exception to this rule. Her body was shaking, not just out of anger anymore, but out of that same fear of further pain. Knives now made her flinch, at least the sharp ones did. And she imagined that they might for a while now. That was a trauma that she knew she was going to have to overcome, or at least learn to live with, especially if she wanted to become a Hero someday.

Thanks to Kirishima though, Toga's weapon had been destroyed, snapping against his hardened body. Even without a knife though, Mina had no doubt that the few shards that she still had attached to the switchblades grip was going to be more than enough to let this girl kill someone if she wanted to. Her body, all of a sudden, just refused to move, to react to the commands that her brain was sending to the rest of her body.

Angry as she was, this girl...

She horrified Mina. She downright scared her half to death.

"You're shaking. You cold, Mina?" Toga's tone only served to freak out Mina more. She actually sounded like she was genuinely concerned about the mutated girl. Her unpredictable nature made Mina want to scream - Out of frustration, hatred, fury or terror, she didn't know herself. All she knew was that she couldn't move.

Something that wasn't suddenly amiss on the Hardening Quirk user. "Ashido, what's going on? You okay?"

This time, the words just couldn't escape her. Before, they just weren't able to be contained, and in the space of a few moments, they were now entrapped again. Just unable to move. She hadn't felt this sheer level of horror beforehand. She'd dealt with literal Villains beforehand, before she'd even entered Yuuei. She'd dealt with the horrors that came from facing fear, staring death right in the face. She'd been at USJ. She'd fought against Overgrow with Izuku. She'd fought against some of the most horrifying Villains out there. She'd done everything in her power to fight against those who attacked the lodge. She'd fought this girl and survived.

But now she was genuinely terrified.

What was she going to do?

What could she do?

"Ashido! Snap out of it! What's going on?!"

Even with her powerful Quirk, Mina hadn't been able to do anything to this girl, and had earned only a nasty wound for it. Nothing she had done had stopped this maniac. It hadn't changed anything. Izuku had still been kidnapped, and she had been powerless to stop it from happening. Even with her physical fitness, it hadn't done anything. Nothing had worked against this girl, and the result had always been the same.

Mina had been defeated.

So what would change this time?

She didn't have anything new. Only the same old tricks, and techniques, no additional training. The only new thing about her was her depression and lovesickness. Nothing she could use.

All of this, and she had nothing to lose… Yet she was still rooted to the spot in nothing but fear of this girl. She felt pathetic. She was pathetic. She was so pathetic that her brain was just screaming at her at how pathetic she was.

Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.

Pathetic!

"Ashido!" His voice wasn't getting through to her. Kirishima could see that, as well as her near broken state. Not daring to let his guard down for a second, he took a step forward, to put a bit of a distance between Toga and Mina, to try to protect her. His hands crossed over one another into an X shaped guard. His Quirk simply wasn't allowing him to reinforce himself any more than he already was, and it was causing him strain to keep it up like this. Sweat fell from his forehead, though he refused to even slightly back down. "Not this time." He quietly muttered to himself, trying to steady his breathing. Louder, he yelled his demand towards to Villain in front of him, in as sturdy a tone as possible. "What do you even want with us? Why come here pretending to be one of our classmates?" His voice broke slightly before he kept going. "You already took our friends from us… You're breaking the faith in Heroes…. Why?... What's the point of any of this?!"

"Cleanup." With the broken knife, she pointed behind Kirishima, and towards the frozen girl he was defending. Mina could swear she could feel her very soul being stabbed by them as they were aimed at her. "Izuku keeps talking about this girl when he thinks no one is listening. Mina this, Mina that, Mina the other thing… Even when he has me now, he keeps talking about this girl."

Kirishima gulped.

"Izuku and me are happy without this girl, but he keeps talking about her… All the time…" As she spoke, Toga looked like she was hurt, at least emotionally speaking.

A grin then spread across her lips, not showing off any teeth whatsoever. Somehow, it would have been less creepy if her teeth had been brought to bare.

"So I'ma get rid of the problem! And then Izuku and I can be happy without her being involved!" The cheerful logic of a serial killer was disturbing as it was always going to be. Devoid of emotion or any real common sense, but there it was, presented clear as day for everyone to hear, and spoken with such seriousness that it was honestly freaky. Signs of mental instability, if they weren't already obvious in this maniac before, certainly made themselves known right now.

The bizarre belief that Izuku and here were apparently in some sort of relationship, no matter how twisted and fucked up it was bound to be. This idea that Izuku, in his no doubt delirious and battered and broken state, was somehow going to be content with the situation that he was in. The insane logic that, again, only made sense in the mind of a homicidal maniac, that removing someone from the equation entirely would solve the issues that this girl had. That combined with her giggling and rapidly fluctuating mood showed her symptoms of mental instability even more. If every Villain in the League was like this, it was a miracle that any of the students had made it out alive full stop.

"So you chose to disguise yourself as Bakugou, why? Just to rub it in our faces?" Kirishima may have had the clear advantage when it came to the power of their Quirks, even if he wasn't as developed in the technique department as this girl probably was, she had nowhere to go. The floor they were on was so high up that jumping was unquestionably suicide, and the only exit was through him and Mina. He could charge and pin this girl down no problem, but that could leave her with an opening to escape. The goal was simply to aggravate her, to provoke her in some way into coming towards him. While she moved, he would have the advantage. She would need to focus on moving as well as throwing out an attack, while all he had to do was make sure that she didn't get past him.

Realistically, she had nowhere to go. As soon as she charged at him, she was finished. In the meantime, all there was to do was wait, and try to pry information out of this Toga girl. As much as possible, before he had to knock her out cold.

Toga suddenly stuck her tongue out at the mention of the Explosion Quirk user. "Blergh! His blood tasted yucky, even when he was all beaten up. Not my type at all." Shaking her head as she spoke, Toga kept her mouth open. "Way too angry all the time, and his blood tastes like dirt. I wanted to drink more of Izuku's blood, but Shigaraki said that it would throw the Heroes off more if I returned as the guy we were out to kidnap. Thought it might confuse you and make you all look like a bunch of morons!" She ended her sentence in a sing-song tone, like she was mocking the Hardening Quirk users question. Like a child, almost.

"Bastards!..." His words were slow and drawn out, himself on the verge of hissing outright. The strain of maintaining his transformation type power was starting to get to Kirishima, determined as he was to hold out. When his skin was hardened to be this tough, and for this long, he began to feel the wear and tear of his power, sort of like holding a dumbbell at arm's length for long, extended period of time. It became more and more difficult to maintain. It was why he needed Toga to attack him right now, while he was still able to maintain this. He scowled, and began to yell again. "You're such cowards that you won't even attack us head on? What kind of – "

"Kirishima, hang on."

Mina's voice suddenly coming back into the conversation made Kirishima jump slightly, himself feeling his Hardening weakening from the sudden surprise.

Looking towards the object of her fears directly, even though her entire body, her right hand in particular, was shaking uncontrollably, Mina found her voice, pushed onwards by hope at some of the wording that Toga had chosen. There was still a chance. A very slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.

"You…. So, Izuku's okay? He's not been injured too badly?" Nothing that he hadn't done to himself anyway, she thought to herself. "He's alive?... His Quirk hasn't been stolen?..."

"He's not yours anymore, you bitch!" Venomous shouting suddenly and violently were shot out from Toga's mouth, her pupils becoming smaller and more focused on the athletic pink girl on the other side of the room. Where this particular breed of anger came from was unclear, and just where the intensity of it came from was certainly due to the sick affection that she held for the green haired boy. Perhaps it was simply because she was furious at the boy's girlfriend for merely existing, or because she had, from her words, figured out that absolutely everything that had come out of her mouth on the subject was a complete and total lie. " He's mine! He doesn't need you anymore!"

Seconds passed.

In total silence.

Mina was, in spite of her own clear fear of this younger Villain, standing her ground, and refusing to turn around and run, or allow herself to be protected yet again by one of her friends.

She was sick of that. Being protected and defended. Her inability to fend for herself. Her inability to protect the people that she cared about, be them friend, family, or the boy she loved with all her heart. She was tired of not being able to be a Hero, to be what she wanted to be all along. She was tired of, despite having such a powerful Quirk, never being able to use it and defend people in the way that people like Izuku and Kirishima could. She was tired of not being able to do those things.

Not even able to protect the person she loved. Seriously, what sort of girlfriend even was she at this point?

With no reason to do so, Kirishima had ran here as quickly as he could, solely to help Mina because he thought that someone back here was in danger, and he was able to do something about it. He could have frozen up, like she had. He could have ignored it, or he could have run to get help from other people. Instead, here he was. Truly, he'd grown from the young boy she'd known beforehand. Were someone to ask her what she thought, Mina would answer truthfully – He had long since surpassed her. And here he was, continuing to do so.

It was time to repay that favor.

Holding up her hand and putting it in front of her classmate to block his way, Mina managed to step forward, and stop her shaking. Not that she had erased her fear of this girl. Not even close to it.

"Hang back, Kirishima." Her own voice was low, as was her head.

Her right hand flinched and stuttered, before quirking into a fist, as her left hand formed a claw like position with which to utilize her Quirk.

"She's mine." Darkly serious tones that sent a shudder throughout everyone in the room, even the killer right in front of them. Mina was terrified, yes, but she was acting in spite of it, refusing to give in a second longer.

Her body was back in her control. And she was ready to fight.

Toga's smile didn't change though. All she did was prepare herself into a better fighting stance.

"Are you nuts?!" Kirishima now looked directly at Mina, turning his head to face her completely in automatic response. "You're gonna end up getting yourself killed! My Quirk's better suited for this kind of thing! Do you wanna die?! If you're gonna fight, I - "

"You're making sure she doesn't escape." The determined girl now ordered sternly. "Block the door. Worst case scenario, if she managed to get me, she isn't going to get past you. Your Quirk makes sure of that." A small growl escaped her throat. "We know Izuku's okay now. We don't know exactly about his Quirk…. But he's okay. So Bakugou should be. I wanna run out of here and track them down right now… But this one's too dangerous. Plus, think about it. If she manages to get away, then the Villains are gonna know about our rescue plan."

Nothing she was saying didn't make sense. It was all perfectly logically sound, and she was right in everything that she was saying.

Additionally, Kirishima knew Mina. How strong she was. How brave she was.

"Besides." As she spoke, her Quirk activated within her left hand, now at full power. All hesitation was gone, and now all that remained was a powerful Hero in training ready to fight like hell against this Villain. "This girl's hurt Izuku… She knows exactly where he is. And she stabbed my hand." Her back hunched, as she got ready to charge. "I want some payback."

And he knew that trying to stop her was a lost cause. If he tried to stop her, she'd probably end up just charging right on ahead, or even using her Quirk on him to make him let go.

"….Okay." He responded, stepping back a few paced to block the doorframe. His X guard returned, though he allowed himself to loosen his durability just a small bit, so he could call upon it again if he needed it. "She's not getting past me, Ashido." His lips managed to curve up into a slight grin as he spoke, showing a few teeth. From somewhere in the pit of his stomach, his anxiety and worries were now evaporating, warming up and being replaced by faith and confidence, in both himself and in Ashido. They could take this girl, couldn't they? "Take her down. I've got your back."

Mina didn't need anything more than that.

The second Kirishima stopped talking, she lunged straight forward with her left hand, wasting not a single second. Her goal was simple – Inflict as much pain as possible onto Toga. Burn right through her arm with her Quirk if she had to. She was ready to use anything at her disposal – The environment, the items around her, her Quirk, her hands, her feet, her head and horns, her teeth and nails if that was what it was going to take. Taking risks with this girl was stupid and dangerous.

Holding back was going to get her killed.

She knew her opponent was someone who probably had a vast amount more combat experience, even if she was younger than her, and the sort of person that she was, Mina knew that she wasn't going to be shown and mercy. Toga wouldn't show a second's hesitation when it came to killing her opponents. She'd strike instantly.

So she had to match that, bit for bit. No mercy, no hesitation.

Just pure, unrepressed ferocity. That was the only way she was even going to stand a chance.

Though Toga seemed ready for it, like she'd guessed that Mina would react that way and reach that conclusion, and reacted accordingly. A quick couple of steps backward and one to the left allowed her to avoid the lunge and all the dangerous substances that came with it. Next, it allowed her to launch an attack of her own, using what was left of the knife to try to pierce her skin and cut her up. But just like Toga had managed to do, Mina was able to predict her moves, and skidded to the side, just out of the way of her opponents reach.

A fist was what Mina threw next, aiming straight for the jaw – The most susceptible part of the body. A strong enough hit there could knock someone clean unconscious. Her hand still flared up in agony whenever she attempted to utilize her Quirk from the right hand, as the wound was still fresh, to all she could do was rely on her physical strength to hopefully cause Toga to black out.

It didn't work though.

With surprising speed and reflexes that really shouldn't surprise Mina anymore, Toga managed to retract her head, and swing her left hand up to grab the Acid Quirk users extended arm.

And then swung her right hand up, and sliced the broken blade across Mina's wrists.

"Aaaaaaaaarrrh!" It was simply luck that Toga had managed to cut the top of the student's wrists, and not the weaker, fleshier and far more vulnerable bottom side. The metal, though broken, still had cut into Mina's skin and caused her yet more cuts along her right hand, but there only reached in a couple of centimeters. It was bearable pain. Something that she could deal with.

Had it been on the bottom side, her arteries would have been cut open, which would have been the end of her after a few minutes, without question.

"Ashido!"

"I'm fine!" As she yelled back, her right foot suddenly unleashed a kick with an enormous amount of force behind it. Reacting solely to the pain, she hadn't had the time to activate her Quirk to maximize the damage, but the strike hit, and it was a solid hit to the stomach. The sheer impact made her attacker let go. She felt it sink straight into Toga, and saw her stagger back. This time, her hit had bought her a little ground, enough to grant her the time to return her leg and get back onto two feet.

Next up, a left hook with her Acid secreting hand, aimed right for the left arm.

"On your right!"

Heeding Kirishima's warning, Mina's eyes darted to her side, to see the suddenly incoming broken blade once again. This time, she had the time to move out of its way, jumping back and giving up on her initial attack in order to preserve herself. She felt the wind that was pushed her way from Toga's movements hit her hair, but she was totally unharmed.

The Transformation Quirk user just growled. "Stay still!" She launched another series of swings towards Mina, trying to slide her in all the vulnerable regions that were within her reach. A downward, diagonal swipe, then a vertical upwards slash, then a downwards lunge. Mina managed to keep out of her reach by backing up and moving to the sides as each swing came, which gave her enough time to evade the next inevitable attempt on her life. Her advanced reflexes were helping her to survive here. Those were what she had to thank for her being able to pull this off. "Stay still and die!"

"Tell me where Izuku is!" Her right fist struck out, and slammed straight across Toga's left cheek. Mina quickly then pulled her hand just an inch away from her, opened her attacking hand, and then slammed her open palm once again against her opponent's face, fingers gripping across her face and nose, using her newfound leverage top push the Villain's face away from her, while also throwing her off guard. The automatic response was the pull back, which was just what Toga did.

Mina used this to her advantage, and pushed with all her strength against her enemy, slamming her against the windowsill and pushing her left forearm over her throat.

With that move, the pink girl had her target pinned. Any moves that Toga made would simply result in Mina being able to either crush her windpipe, knock the air right out of her, or, if she felt like it, straight up erode through her throat until she decapitated the psychotic blonde. She had nothing at her disposal except for a ruined knife, which she had dropped when she had been pinned against the wall, and had no allies, or a way out of this entire situation. There wasn't any sort of doubt at Mina's victory anymore.

She'd won. Simple as that.

If someone in her class was able to look at her in that moment, they wouldn't have recognized her, her face crumpled up and bitterly snarling as hers was. Teeth bare like fangs, and her eyebrows sharply burrowed downwards. Her breathing was incredibly heavy, loud inhales and exhales coming one after another. That fear was still there, but Mina refused to allow even a shred of it to be shown anymore. Making her voice as crisp and clear as possible, Mina slowly spelled out her question again.

"Where. Is. He?"

"You're not too bright, Mina." Toga cheerfully responded, not showing the slightest hint of fear in her situation. In fact, she almost seemed to be amused by it all. Her smile seemed all too cheerful still, and the way that she happily chirped her enemy's first name… "I think I see why Izuku liked you… But I'm still gonna stab you, you know. That hasn't changed a bit."

"I've had enough of your shit!"

Mina's voice bellowed as she yelled, as loud as she possibly could. Her hands were weak, and there was barely any energy in her body anymore.

Every single ounce of energy that she had left was going towards self-restraint. To stop herself from activating her Quirk and burning straight through Toga's throat.

The temptation was there, very real, and incredibly, so incredibly tempting. Mostly because, above everything else, Mina just didn't know what to do. She just had no idea. Toga was the only person, probably in the entire province, and for miles all around it. Any information that she could get from this girl was almost certainly going to be immeasurably valuable to rescuing Izuku. Those facts were not at all even slightly lost on the desperate young woman. In fact, they were screeching in her ears, like Present Mic's Quirk was blasting straight into her eardrums.

Yet she was broken. And she knew that she was. A broken shell of the person that she normally was. Everything that had happened in the last few days had just hit her. Hit her hard. Hit her over and over again, without even the slightest moment to regain her bearings. To rebuild herself up. To refortify herself and just let herself. It left her with a clouded mind. Like when she exposed Bakugou's bullying past. When she accidentally revealed Izuku's Quirkless past. Like when she downright dismissed Kirishima.

How she had gotten into this terrible situation in the first place.

Part of her wanted to just end Toga. Right here, right now. Scared as she was of Toga, fury equally waged within Mina. It wouldn't even be difficult to take Toga out. All she'd need to do was allow her Quirk to activate, and her Acid would do the rest. She wouldn't even Feel any real resistance, and could even justify some distance from her actions, since she herself wasn't going to feel the object of her hatred die.

Besides, Toga was one of the Villains who was responsible for the attacks. Responsible for so much of the pain and the guilt and the resentment that Mina, and everyone in Yuuei, now had to feel. Had been feeling, for the last couple of days now. All of it…. Toga had played a part in.

She was just as guilty as anyone in the League of Villains. And Mina almost wanted to just give up, and let her Quirk take her out. Would anyone blame her? Would Kirishima seriously think that she was being irrational and emotional? Would anyone? Wouldn't this be classed as self-defense anyway? There were so many ways to get away with this.

"Everything that's happened… Everything… You've been involved in it! Every single time!... You're just as responsible for this as that Warp Gate guy! I've had enough of your games! Just tell me where Izuku is, now!"

She could feel herself losing the willpower to hold her Quirk back.

Heroism be damned.

"Just give it up."

The sudden voice of Kirishima brought Mina from her internal thoughts. He took a couple of steps towards both of the girls, allowing himself to let down his guard. "You're outnumbered, our Quirks are stronger than yours is, and this hospital is full of people who are more than happy to stop you. You won't win this… So just give it up." His hand remained solid as a rock though. "Tell us what we want to know."

"You're not too smart, either." The trapped Villain pouted towards the red eyed teenager, and looked at him with unimpressed eyes of her own, scanning him over. "You know, if you were a bit beaten up, you might actually be kind of cute."

"Enough games." He responded flatly. Evidentially, he was just as tired, and held just as much remorse for everything that had gone down as Mina had. For the first time, Mina heard the pain as he spoke, how his throat seemed to make him croak out certain letters when he vocalized his speaking. "Tell us where Bakugou and Midoriya are. Now."

With how everything had affected her… Mina had honestly forgotten how Kirishima had to be feeling right now. No. That wasn't an entirely accurate statement. She hadn't even considered it. She had been so wrapped up in her own feelings, her own pain, and her own emotions… She hadn't even considered how anyone else was feeling.

Of course other people had to be hurting. Of course they were. She wasn't the only one who had suffered thanks to this entire affair. No way that was the case. For all the problems that she had with it, Kirishima did seem to consider Bakugou an actual friend. His concern did seem genuine, though that might be more to do with him just being the sort of person that he was. On the other end of the spectrum, Uraraka, Iida and Todoroki no question were suffering thanks to the loss of Izuku. But she just hadn't even really thought about that. At least not enough for someone who had thought herself to be empathetic to another person's pain.

That sudden display of sheer emotion from her old friend… It caught Mina off.

And that worried her.

"Hrm. So, you wanna know where Izuku is?"

Once Kirishima had stopped talking, Toga made her move, quick enough to avoid any sort or retaliation from either of the Yuuei students.

Her Quirk suddenly activated, causing her skin to suddenly melt and become more liquid and water like, which made holding a grip on her nearly impossible. It didn't take much for Toga to immediately slip out of Mina's hold, before she could do anything to prevent her escape.

"Gah! Hey!"

Staggering a couple of steps away from Mina, Toga allowed her back to arch once more, as her Quirk began to take effect, rapidly altering her appearance. Her face was turned away from the pink girl, and towards the boy with red hair dye. Unlike her previous de-transformation, her changing of appearance was nearly instant, bringing an entirely new face to the whole situation. A face that had been carefully chosen.

Because of just how much it would throw off Toga's enemies.

"I'm right here."

Izuku's face. And Izuku's voice.

Mina froze.

Absolutely nothing else in the room existed anymore. Not the doors, not the windows, not the knifes. Not even Kirishima.

Only the image of the boy Mina had so desperately, desperately wanted to see again.

It was a perfect replication of Izuku, in every single aspect, from the freckles on his face and their location, to the shades of green that were in his eyes. The scars on his right arm and hand, and the color of hair, black towards the roots, and dark green as it grew out further. His muscles and his proportions, height and width, all perfectly recreated right in front of her. Ever so slightly taller than her, and a bit broader to boot. A body less designed for athleticism, and more strength based, built to withstand the power that he housed inside of him. The smile that was now on 'his' face was the same one that she remembered seeing whenever he was happy, and he thought that she wasn't looking his way. Small, and adorable, with one corner curled up slightly. The voice too, a perfect mimic of the timid boy's pitch and tone.

That was honestly the worst, and the best part of it. Hearing that sweet voice again.

She'd missed this. Mina had missed this. Seeing him. In the flesh. In person.

Right in front of her.

There he was… So close, she could reach out and touch him…

"Mina? What's wrong?" That voice again. "You look kinda confused…" Soothing right now, and just what she had missed... It was truly amazing how much Mina had missed hearing it. How much she'd missed of absolutely everything Izuku. Nothing else even seemed to enter her entire universe. Kirishima was shouting something, something irrelevant and totally unimportant right now, so she just blocked it out. He was right in front of her…

But he also wasn't. Not even close.

That sad fact screamed out at Mina, over and over, louder and louder every time that she thought about it. She knew in her head that that wasn't Izuku who was standing in front of her. That the person who was right in front of her was Toga, The female Villain that she utterly despised. The one who was partially responsible for everything that had been going on for the last few days. The girl whom had given her such an injury… Mina knew that this was a trick. A way to psychologically batter her. A way to make her unwilling, or unable, to strike back against the one who wore the face of the person she loved. The way that 'Izuku' acted, the way he spoke, the words he used…. It was all Toga's way of breaking down her barriers. Of making her an easier target to finish off.

She knew all of this.

She knew it all perfectly well.

She knew that she shouldn't be letting this affect her. She knew that if she allowed this trick to work, then it was going to be the end of her. She had already escaped fate once today. She was growing concerned that she was running out of tokens or whatever to keep doing so. The last time had been pure luck, and thanks to Kirishima's timely arrival to protect her. Was he going to be able to do the same thing yet again? Would he even try? Even assuming the positive to both of these things… She couldn't just rely on that getting her out of here. She knew that if she wanted to survive, she was going to have to attack. To show no mercy.

She knew that…

She did…

But….Not with Izuku. "I'm sorry…." It wasn't Izuku… But it was probably the closest that she was going to get now, since she wasn't going to fight back anymore. "Izu… Ku… Izu… I'm…" Not even the words were going to come out.

Just how pathetic could one person be?

"Damn it, Ashido, no!"

"Die, die, die!"

"Mina?" 'Izuku's' voice again. This time louder. Closer. The gap between them was so small now….

… She couldn't.

She knew it wasn't Izuku. In fact, she was trying to focus on that single, simple fact. That this was a Transformation Type Quirk, and that it was quite literal in its name. This wasn't Izuku. It wasn't him. It was, it wasn't, it wasn't… She knew it….

But she just couldn't bring herself to get ready to attack. To even think about getting ready to strike against her enemy. Not while she looked like that. Not when she looked like Izuku. She just.

Couldn't.

Do it.

"Die!"

Not to him.

Not to her Izuku.

No matter how much her mind yelled at her, no matter how ridiculous it had to seem to anyone else…No matter how sharp the knife that Toga had somehow managed to acquire from the room somewhere – A hidden blade, hidden elsewhere in the room for emergencies like this, perhaps? - looked… She just couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to attack. All the strength in her body was gone. All of it. Every final drop. How she was even standing on two feet anymore… She just didn't know. She just didn't have the capacity anymore. Not to fight.

It was all a blur, once again. This time, to more permanent, dangerous effects.

Once again, Mina found herself rescued, her life preserved, by the quick thinking and speed of Kirishima, and the durability of his Quirk. This time, he had managed to grab hold of her shoulder, and had tugged her behind his body, though in doing so, his arm was then stabbed yet again, thankfully suffering no injury thanks to his rapid activation of Hardening ability. For the second time in the space of maybe five minutes, Kirishima had saved her life, at the risk to himself.

But something was different this time. This time, Kirishima's expression showed signs of pain, of impact, of actual physical response from the knife's effects. It hadn't managed to pierce his skin, but it seemed to have had some kind of effect on him. More like a punch than a slash, though she was able to see the slice along his hardened skin where it should have sliced open, like a chink in his armored body. One of his eyes was firmly shut, the other only half open, glaring in the cuts general direction. He was fortunate to have the kind of Quirk that he did in this situation. It was how he was managing to keep the pair of them alive.

Things began to move once again for Mina once she saw Toga - Izuku backing up, with a widening grin that didn't fit his face at all. What exactly the Villain had to grin about didn't hit Mina for a short while. Not until she actually looked at the situation, and considered a couple of things now.

And realized just how much she had truly screwed up.

All because of her inability to put reason before her heart and her own inabilities, Kirishima had needed to dart over to save her, shielding her with his body once again.

That meant that the door was now unguarded. Nothing to stop Toga from getting out of the room, and making a run for it.

Which was exactly what she did. The moment time started to return to the regular passage, the girl in the shape of Mina's boyfriend made a rapid charge straight through the door, speeding right through the doorframe and running at the absolute peak of her physical ability. For her natural size and body, she was deceptively fast – Did her Quirk grant her other people's physical abilities, or did she just have that herself? That question was, however, the last one that should be at the forefront of anyone's mind. She was escaping.

Toga was escaping! The Villain, the one who knew where Izuku was! But there was something much worse. Something that Mina hadn't even thought about until just this moment.

"Oh no…" She whispered. Toga knew.

She knew about the students plan to rescue Izuku! She understood the details – The others who were actually involved had no doubt briefed her on the mission and how they were going to do everything. She knew everything about their plan! Hell, she probably knew more about it than Mina did at this stage!

If she managed to get back to the other Villains…

"Crap!" Kirishima deactivated his Quirk and stepped away from Mina, dusting off the mark that now made itself at home on his skin and darting towards the door after Toga. Mina couldn't honestly tell if he was thinking about the same things that she was – For all she knew, he was just focused on the fact a Villain had managed to escape from the pair of them, and they now had to go and recapture her. Whatever his thinking was, his reasons were probably just as good as the ones Mina was thinking of within the grand scheme of things.

Her brain began to send the correct signals to her limbs again. She couldn't afford to sit here and just allow the Villain to escape. Picking herself up onto her feet, she utilized every single muscle that she had in her, and pushed one foot in front of the other, and ran straight out the door frame.

Chasing the girl who was mimicking her boyfriend.

* * *

"Todoroki, you can't be serious about this."

Looking up from the ground and his folded arms, Todoroki looked towards Kaminari, the same deadpanned expression in his eyes that he'd shown every single person who'd asked him that question.

"Yes, I am serious." He responded, for what felt like the five hundredth time since their plan had been revealed to everyone in 1A. He had repeated this same couple of sentences over and over to multiple people. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."

And there was that same look on his conversation partners face. That look of both bewilderment and disapproval at the decision. Of course, it wasn't just Kaminari who had looked at him this way. Ojiro, Fumikage, Aoyama, Sero and Tsuyu had all gone out of their way to make the same comments.

Uraraka had watched the same scene play out, different people, different variations of the same words, but the overall scene was all too familiar to her. Todoroki wasn't going to back down. She'd figured that out after watching him for maybe an hour or so, with a thousand thoughts of her own rushing through her brain. Seeing Todoroki actually getting emotionally worked up was just something she straight up wasn't used to. It was weird to watch him actually getting this worked up about things, since he normally carried himself in such a stoic manner, keeping himself calm and collected, and somewhat distant to everyone around him.

It was just proof he did care about friends.

And she wished that she could be as certain of herself. That she knew what it was that she wanted to do in this situation.

On the one hand, she absolutely understood everything that the others were saying. Going out on their own likes this, even if it was to rescue one of their classmates – Even if Bakugou was still being held hostage, making it a rescue of two people – They were still breaking so many laws that it wasn't even worth considering. No matter how Heroic the intent, the fact of the matter was that they were going to be more like Villains than they were like Heroes. Going off on their own without any sort of legal backing, it was like a complete slap in the face towards everything that Heroism was supposed to be, towards everything their superhero based society. The correct answer, at least from a societal perspective, was obvious and clear.

What Todoroki, Kirishima, Bakugou and Mina planned to do was right illegal.

It wasn't right, and no circumstances would honestly be able to justify it. It didn't matter who they were rescuing, or what the situation was. In the eyes of society, they would be Villainous in act. No question.

… In the eyes of the legal system, anyway.

This was Izuku they were talking about. The person in 1A that everyone at the very least respected, who kept surprising and inspiring people over and over again. The person who upheld everything that being a Hero was supposed to be. Who, out of everyone in their class, was probably the most determined to be a Hero. Who wanted to be a Hero for the most selfless reasons.

He was her friend. On top of that, he was practically a friend to nearly everyone in 1A, which was why it had hit everyone a lot harder than if it had just been Bakugou. It was why, even after their Explosive compatriot had been returned, the mood was still somber and damp for everyone who had been there. Bakugou being captured had affected everyone, certainly… But Izuku being lost had hit everyone that bit harder, due to his amicable personality. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. That was what was upsetting to most people.

That was what made the debate a much more complicated affair.

Because there were so many people who admired and respected Izuku, the thought of actually going to help him weighed heavily on their minds. Mina's words had cut them deep, but nothing that she had said had been wrong in any way. Izuku was the person – Possibly the only person in the entire class – That had literally no issues with anyone, and always tried to help no matter what. No matter the issue, no matter the person. He was just a good person all round, and the fact that they weren't doing anything to help him, someone who absolutely deserved it, did stand out to quite a number of them.

Many were still internally debating, only a select few having made up their minds.

The brunette girl sighed. She really didn't know what side the honestly resided on, because she saw both sides, and both sides made very good, strong arguments that could easily sway her if presented with a strong enough case. She had so much to consider in the debate, from her desperation to do something to help her best friend, to her own parents, and the reason that she wanted to be a Hero in the first place. While she wanted to help… Doing so could risk the very people that she wanted to be a Hero for. If she got kicked out of Yuuei, a very real risk for those who were going, then that meant that she wouldn't be able to get the money to help out her parents.

But if she didn't go, then she knew she'd be pressed with guilt for the longest, longest time, for doing nothing at all to help. She wished she could be like Mina; Unflinching and without hesitation, ready to go out and save Izuku, probably coming to her decision quicker than anyone had done. Then again, Izuku was her boyfriend. Uraraka couldn't blame her friend for making such a quick and hasty decision.

Impassioned choice too, there couldn't be any doubt about that. Would she hold it against those who did nothing to help? Normally she wouldn't, but these weren't normal circumstances.

"Uraraka." The Zero Gravity Quirk user looked up, and found herself greeted by her other friend, whom looked just as pained and conflicted as she herself was. It was Iida, looking down at the sat-down girl with folded arms, but an expression that just didn't suit the rest of his stance. "…What are you thinking about?"

She sighed, and looked up towards the Engine Quirk user, locking eyes with his blue ones. She answered honestly. "…About… Deku. I just… I don't know... What to do."

"Going after him would be illegal, you know."

"Yeah, I know…. But admit it, Iida. You're struggling to justify not doing anything yourself, aren't you?"

This time, it was Iida's turn to sigh, He didn't deny Uraraka's assessment, instead choosing to sit next to her. Coming from a renowned Hero family, and given his strict personality, it wasn't a surprise that he was trying to uphold the proper way of justice and law to his classmates. It was also clear though, that due to the fact that Izuku was his friend, and someone he held an immense respect for, he was seriously conflicted between right and wrong in this case. He was just as troubled at his brown-haired friend, unsure if what he was doing was the right thing to do at all, both morally and ethically.

"I… I admit, I am conflicted." He confessed, resting his head within his right hand.

A nod was all the agreement that he got from Uraraka, who patted him on the back softly. "I… I wish that I was like Ashido. I wish that… I had nothing I had to think about… I have my parents to consider… And you have your family to think about too." She felt hand hands turn into fists. "But Ashido… She doesn't need to think about stuff like that. She didn't even hesitate, I bet…"

"… Ashido and Midoriya are dating, after all." Iida reminded her, though he understood what his friend was trying to say. "It's…. Easy to compare our lack of action to hers… But our circumstances are entirely different."

"… Maybe." She sighed again, though her fists were still balled up. "But… Todoroki and Kirishima… They don't have that same reasoning. Even Bakugou is going… How are we supposed to justify doing nothing… Against that?..."

To this, Iida had no answer. Instead, he just looked towards the bi-hair colored student, still in discussion with Kaminari. Uraraka had a point… Once that he couldn't just dismiss or word his way out of.

No matter how he thought about it… His friend was right in that regard.

"… I – "

" _ **Stop**_!"

The pair of teenagers suddenly felt their heads jerk to the side as the sudden, screaming – shout captured the attention of virtually everyone in their small group, originating from down a closed corridor at the far end of the reception they were all found at. What followed was a few seconds of silence, with various students looking between one another, and towards the source of the noise, listening to what sounded like a series of rapidly enclosing footsteps, heavy and loud. Followed by another.

And then another.

What came next, no one was prepared for, and made practically everyone's jaws drop.

What emerged from that corridor, was Izuku Midoriya, running as fast as his legs would allow him to move at.

He then suddenly skidded, looking towards everyone in the reception, like he was looking for someone he recognized, like he was looking at a room full of strangers.

The room full of his classmates however, all straight up stared at him, jaws ajar, eyes wide open, shock having hit them all at once. Uraraka and Iida had shot straight up onto their feet in sheer shock, their bodies moving before they could even stop them.

"Midorya?!"

"Deku?!"

They weren't alone either. Everyone in the hallway, Kaminari, Todoroki, Sero, Tsuyu and Mineta all suddenly were staring at the green haired boy, whom looked surprisingly in good shape given everything that had happened to him beforehand. No one really questioned that fact though, more focused on the fact that, despite everything, Izuku was, somehow, right in front of them.

"What the hell?!"

"Midoriya?!"

"Where the hell did you come from?!"

"Dude!" Kaminari was the first one who actually approached, breaking into a small job with a grin on his face as he did so. "Midoriya, where the hell – How'd you get away from the – "

Before he could finish any real sentence, Izuku suddenly, and out of nowhere, attacked.

From up his sleeve, fell a sharpened blade right into his hands, which he then suddenly used to lunge at the Electrification Quirk user, aiming for the chest, planning on using his weapon to impale the blond teenagers heart. The impact would kill him immediately, and Izuku had been so quickly, so swift, and the attack was so unexpected, that no one, not even Kaminari, who was barely even a meter away from the curly haired boy, was able to notice the drawing of the metal blade, nor the quick, precise aim.

Nor the rapid, accurate lunge. "Get out of my way!"

"Kaminari!" It was becoming a rapid routine for him, but that was because his power was the best suited for physical defense. Running out of the corridor, and activating his Quirk all across his back, Kirishima grabbed hold of his friend, and pushed the pair of them onto the ground to avoid the strike. This time, Kirishima had managed to avoid the attack altogether, neither one of them suffering from any sort of stabbing.

All at once, the yelling and shouting of questions and demands occurred.

"Midoriya?!"

"What the _crap_?!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Kirishima, what's going on?!"

"That isn't Izuku!"

Appearing from the same corridor at the red-haired student, everyone turned their heads to see the pink skinned girl, her hand still on the wall that she'd passed, glaring straight at the person whom looked like her boyfriend. Eyes shifted between the two of them, no one quite understanding what was going on in any way whatsoever. None of them had any idea what sort of Quirk that Toga was using.

Mina and Kirishima were the only two who got it.

"What're you talking about, Mina?" That sinister grin once again spreading across 'Izuku's' lips, gave him away automatically, even if she was using Izuku's voice. Though that was assuming that concealment was something that was being considered.

Tioga was mocking Mina, and she was more than aware of that fact. And that infuriated her. "Don't you dare use Izuku's voice! Don't you dare!"

A chuckle left 'Izuku', as the green eyes that were in his head scanned over the rest of the room. Leaving behind the full disguise, Toga allowed her Quirk to deactivate within the eye region, turning the green eyes of Class 1A's most respected student into the yellow, emotionless, murderous eyes of a serial killer. Hiding wasn't any use, she knew, so there was absolutely no downside to revealing herself whatsoever.

Besides, if none of the students saw her face, there wasn't much that could be done if they happened to see her out of transformation again.

The surprise and shock hit the other members of 1A yet again, though this time not from a place of joy or momentary hope, but out of suspense, and near terror. They'd figured out at this point that this was a Quirk that let someone disguise themselves as someone else somehow, and that they'd somehow infiltrated the building.

"It's one of the Villain from the lodge!" Kirishima yelled, pushing himself, and Kaminari backwards, out of the psychopaths wielding range. "She came in disguised as Bakugou! It wasn't him!"

"Awww, don't ruin the surprise!" 'Izuku' spoke, in the highly feminine tones that Toga possessed, almost in the sing song tone that a child would utilize. Her hands opened wide, as if that would somehow make her look more innocent, though she kept the knife between her index finger and thumb. "It's not as fun if you tell them all the details!"

That line irritated Kirishima. She saw this as some sort of game? He gritted his teeth and yelled, "Sero! Your Quirk!"

Though he had been just as caught off by the sudden appearance of this faux-Izuku, the Tape Quirk user reacted with speed and without any hesitation. As soon as her name was called, he was already in action, rolling up his right sleeve, and throwing his elbow up. He ejected his tape as fast as he was capable of doing so, aiming to tie up the fake classmate, to prevent them from harming anyone else.

Toga – Izuku however, easily managed to avoid this by ducking down. Her left hand then reached back up, and gripped hold of said tape, pulling on it, pulling the Tape Quirk user towards her, but also pulling her towards him. It would have been easy for her to slit his throat in doing so, but she decided against it the moment she was able to get a good look at his face. "Too plain." She said aloud, instead opting to plant both her feet into his stomach, and push off of him.

Landing her close to the hospital door.

"Todoroki, stop her!"

Needing no orders given, the Half-Cold-Half-Hot teenager was already moving, readying himself to create an icy call to prevent the fake from escaping from the hospital.

Although Toga wasn't having any of that either. With impressive aim, she threw her knife straight towards the hybrid Quirk user, launching it straight for his face. The sudden incoming projectile meant that a few precious seconds had to be wasted, by Todoroki needing to dodge the incoming attack. He threw himself onto the floor, and aimed to land on his right hand, activating the right side of his power the second he hit the ground. As he landed, the floor began to freeze, generating a pathway of ice between Toga and the door, aiming for her feet, and to freeze her in place.

Thanks to the few seconds she had bought herself though, Toga was able to jump over the ice without issue, as Todoroki hadn't managed to build up his ice enough. To block her way.

"Tsuyu! Sero!" Mina yelled as loud as she could at those who had some long-range capabilities. "Someone, grab her!" Her own Quirk wasn't any user anymore. Not at this distance.

Not with the distance Toga had already put between them.

It ended up being Tsuyu who reacted, launching her tongue as fast as she could launch it. But it just wasn't fast enough.

By the time the Frog Form Quirk user had extended her tongue as far as it was going to go, Toga had just managed to escape out of her maximum range, and was moving quickly out of sight.

Into the city. Towards the league, wherever they were hiding.

"No, no no!" Mina could only scream. Toga had escaped.

And she knew what that meant.

"What on Earth did I just miss?!"

Rapidly making her way over, the literally just discharged Yaoyorozu approached the group, looking at the scene in front of her in a mixture of abhorrence that Quirks had been used without express permission, and concern for those who may have suffered injuries. Without context as to what had just happened, she had no idea what had just gone down, and if this was a situation that required such a violation of the law.

"Yaoyorozu!" Getting onto his feet quickly, Kirishima managed to lock eyes with the Creation Quirk user. "We need that tracking device, now!" His voice was a loud louder than any normal level for him, though this wasn't intentional at all. It was just the adrenaline and the severity of the situation that was in front of them.

"What do you – I haven't decided – "

"The Villains were here!" Mina shrieked, this one being completely intentional. Everyone was going to hear this. They needed to hear it. "That person she was at the lodge when it was attacked! She has some Quirk that lets her disguise herself as other people! She was Bakugou the entire time! And then she made herself look like Izuku! They're both still being held!"

"And now they know all of our plans…" Kirishima spoke through his gritted teeth and clenched fists. As soon as he'd finished speaking, Todoroki was already at work melting the ice with the left side of his body, trying to make it safe to get over. "We can't wait anymore. We need to go – Right now!"

Students looked at one another. Those that were undecided in particular looked uneasy.

What did they do now?

"They know we're coming!" With everything that's he had, Mina yelled as loud as she could, not caring for who heard her. "What're they gonna do to Izuku and Bakugou if they know that we're coming to rescue them?!" Several people could be heard sharply intaking breath into their lungs. "If we don't go right now, then we're responsible for what happens to them! We need to go, now!"

Yaoyorozu hadn't decided on what it was that she was going to do yet. The only reason that she was even headed to the reception was to speak to Iida, and those who were there about said nighttime operation. That was out the window now.

Her choice had been made for her. Activating her Quirk, she created another tracking device, honed into the beacon that she'd had placed on the Nomu during the attack.

Turning to look towards Kirishima and Mina, she felt sweat run down from her forehead. "If we're leaving, it has to be now."

"No one is going anywhere."

Yet another voice joined into the fray – This time, a much deeper voice from behind all the students.

A heavy hand suddenly made its way onto the young woman's shoulder, suddenly freezing her in place. Her muscles suddenly ceased to move in any way that she commanded. The only things that would move were her eyes, suddenly wide in surprise and uncomfortable fear.

The culprit however, was someone that the students hadn't even thought about.

A Police-Officer. "What you're describing doing is an incredibly illegal action. In compliance with the laws of Japan, I'm going to have to ask you to place your hands above your head and not to resist your arrest."

Officers in Japan were usually restricted from using their Quirks as weapons, leaving that responsibility to the Heroes, people who were trained to use their powers to help people. That wasn't at all to say all policemen were Quirkless. Against a large number of students who were training to be Heroes, who all had powerful Quirks, it wasn't surprising that this officer was using their powers against them.

Some kind of muscle freezing Quirk that worked through skin contact. That must have been why the officer had grabbed Yaoyorozu's shoulder, exposed and bare thanks to the shirt that she was bearing. How long the effects lasted for was a question that would have to be answered later.

Mina didn't even bother holding back her anger at this officer. "Are you freaking kidding me?! Where were you twenty seconds ago when Kaminari was nearly freaking murdered!" Just doing his job, yes, that was true, but that didn't make what he was doing any less moronic and downright unfair.

"Your actions were about to place not only your own lives, but the lives of many at risk, regardless of if that was your intention or not." The officer simply stated, approaching Mina while leaving Yaoyorozu a frozen statue on the spot. "None of you are Heroes yet – You would only get in the way of the Professionals. I understand your frustration, but in accordance with the law, I'm taking all of you into the station until we can get in contact with officials at Yuuei to figure out what to do with you."

The pink girl stepped backwards a couple of times. What did she do? She didn't want to hurt this guy – He wasn't doing anything wrong.

But Izuku was in serious danger. They needed to get out of here – Right now.

"If you comply, I won't have to use my Quirk on you." The officer said, holding his hand up towards the girl, reaching to touch her skin.

"Ashido, run for it!" Kirishima yelled as loud as he could.

"Ashido!"

"Oof!" Suddenly, the officer lurched forwards like he'd just been struck in the stomach by a sledgehammer before he could even manage to touch Mina's skin, or any part of her for that matter. His brown eyes suddenly shot wide open in shock, and the wind was knocked out of him.

Before he was then thrown into the roof, and left to float there.

A direct result of Uraraka's Quirk.

"Uraraka?!" Mina couldn't do anything but loudly repeat the name of her savior, her black eyes wide open in surprise at the brown haired girls action.

Of everyone here, honestly, she hadn't expected such boldness from the Zero Gravity Quirk user.

With a sharp inhale, Uraraka looked at Mina. "We need to go, right now!" There was clear worry in her eyes about how this would come to affect her life, her position at Yuuei…. But she was still willing to join them now. "If it was just Bakugou or just Deku, that'd be one thing…. But both of them, and now they're in danger because we got tricked?!..."

"Uraraka, what are you doing?!" Iida loudly and, with surprise that mirror Mina's level, shouted her name. "Are you – "

"Iida!" She yelled back at him, with ferocity that she'd never even displayed before. "It's one thing to leave things to the Heroes! But we put Deku and Bakugou in danger! If we leave them… Then we aren't Heroes! It's that simple!" As she yelled, she ran towards Yaoyorozu, trying to help her move her arms again. After realizing that this wasn't going to happen, she activated her Quirk on the voluptuous young woman, opting to carry her as opposed to just dragging her along the ground.

"U - Uraraka!" Mina's voice this time only conveyed joy, happiness, and gratitude that Uraraka had finally made her choice to join the rescue operation.

Kirishima ran up towards the newly joined member, patting her on the back, and helping her to move their Class Vice President. "Thanks, Uraraka. Your Quirk is gonna be a huge help."

"I'm coming too."

Heads turned once more. This one being even more surprising than the surprisingly defiant Uraraka. "Tsuyu?!"

The Frog girl nodded her head, her large hands balling up into fists. "I know I said that if we went off on our own, we'd be no better than Villains… But Uraraka is right. We're responsible. Even if we disagreed with the plan, none of us took it on themselves to report the plan to the authorities… So we're all at fault." Her bluntness, yet accurate assessment, made everyone gulp with guilt. "If I don't do anything now… Then I'm just as guilty as the Villains."

Presented with all of this…. "… Very well then. To prevent you from getting into danger, take me with you." Iida relented. Though steadfast in his beliefs that the laws needed to be obeyed… " I'm the President of Class 1A. It's my job to make sure that you're all going to be acting within the realms of the law. And I'll be there to reign you in when need be."

"Iida, are you serious?"

"You're kidding me!"

Truth be told, Iida couldn't even fully believe it himself. A part of him, like Uraraka and Tsuyu, was yelling, screaming, not to do this. Not to potentially throw away his Hero career down the drain… Not to make the same mistake that he made when it came to the Hero Killer. Part of him simply did not want to repeat his mistakes…

But the Hero Killer incident was just what made him decide that he had to go.

Izuku had rescued him. He'd gone out of his way, and risked his chances at becoming a Hero, just to save his friend.

He needed to repay that favor.

"You people are freaking crazy, you know that"?

Sero's voice. When Mina turned to look at him though, he wasn't alone at all.

As they had all been talking, Sero had used his Quirk – To tie up the officer whom had been left to float by Uraraka, And Mineta had placed a few of his Pop – Off spheres on the wrapping points, to keep the officer secure.

"…But we'll keep this guy here, so he doesn't call more heat onto you guys."

"Are you nuts?!" Mina yelled, eyes wide open. "You're holding a _policeman_ hostage?"

"Uraraka just used her Quirk on an officer, and at this point, we're all guilty by association." A small grin left Sero's lips. "You guys just go. Mineta, Kaminari and I'll keep everything on this end running." As he spoke, Mineta and Kaminari both gave the group thumbs up. For all their faults, the two of them were willing to risk their chances at Heroism for their friends. They were in hot water anyway.

What was one more degree?

"… Thank you." Was all the Acid Quirk user could say in response. Other words weren't eve going to come close to expressing how much gratitude she had for them all willing to stick their necks out like this.

'Thank you' was all that she had right now.

"If we're going, we need to leave before anything else happens." Todoroki told them all, making his own way out of the hospital front door, and breaking out into a light jog.

With a nod goodbye to the others, Mina followed. Followed by, Tsuyu, Iida, Kirishima and Uraraka, the latter of two both pulling Yaoyorozu along.

No matter how this whole mess ended…

It was going to end by the time the next day came around.

* * *

 **GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**

 **Writing when on holiday in Canada at Christmas with my girlfriend is really freaking difficult, okay? I had so much I wanted to get into this chapter! I'm really sorry for the lack of updates. This chapter was supposed to be up a lot earlier than it did end up being. I feel like Izuku at the end of his training montage, screaming on top of the pile of garbage.  
(And this chapter was supposed to be longer too...) **

**Happy Christmas and slash or all holidays, new year, etc. Surely this year can't be more shit than the last, right?... Right?... Oh boy.**

 **Before I forget to mention, I'm going to say this - Chapter 50 is going to be enormous. Don't think that it'll be up for a few weeks - But this whole kidnapping arc will be resolved in it. That I promise. It's gonna be a Goliath. Trust me. I've been looking forward to it for months now. So I ask that you all please bare with me - It might take a while to get out. But I promise you - It will be very worth it.**

 **I hope this chapter doesn't seem too rushed. I went over it more times than is probably healthy, but I'll fix any issues I find later on when chapter 50 is up, and I can move beyond this arc. Trust me, the stuff I have planned is a thing of beauty. I'm excited.**

 **Thank you all so much for waiting so patiently for me - And I'll see you next time for chapter 50.**


	50. Long Overdue - Part 1

**Well then fuckheads, here it is. Chapter 50 - I just wanted to let ya'll know, this is being split into five chapters - Simply because it is much easier for digestion then.**

 **At least 45K words of progress and two entire volumes covered... I hope you enjoy.** _(This was FUCKING PAINFUL.)_

* * *

How many days had it been now?

Two? Three? Not counting the ones that he wasn't awake for, anyway. He truly had no idea either way though. Izuku's main focus had just been on forcing himself to stay awake, a challenge that was becoming increasingly more and more difficult to actually do. Everything was piling up, and had been piling up for however long it had been since he'd woken up. The numbness was only going to do so much. Keeping his eyes open was now like trying to keep a pair of dumbbells in the air for an extended period of time. He could hardly even feel any of his muscles anymore. His sense of touch felt like it had just escaped his body.

It was factually incredible that he'd managed not to pass out yet. Anyone else would have been out cold for days, if they were a normal Human. Even those who had Stamina Enhancement and Self - Healing Quirks would simply just be unable to keep this up, and yet he was managing, even if his eyes were only half open now. Through sheer willpower and stubbornness, he'd kept his eyes open and done the closest that he could to staying alert as possible. No matter how much he wanted to just give it up, he simply refused to rest, to close his eyes, to fall asleep, to let his guard down around the Villains.

He needed to be awake. To try to think of a way out of this. To rack his brain until it broke. To take any opportunities that were presented to him to help himself and Bakugou escape from their captors clutches, with or without their powers. He couldn't afford the luxury of sleep. Time just wasn't something that was on his side. Every second that passed by was a second close to the Villains final decision, and who knew what on earth that was going to end up being.

Besides, even if he did go to sleep, he had no doubt that he'd end up barely rested once he woke up. He'd almost certainly have a horrible nightmare pertaining to his situation.

Right now, reality was more than enough for him.

"Seriously Deku, how the fuck're you even still conscious?" Looking up from the ground, Izuku turned his gaze towards Bakugou. After being in the dark for so long, Izuku's eyesight had adapted, and he was able to see his childhood friend much more clearly than he had been able to before. He looked angry, but that was nothing new. All things considered, he was surprisingly calm. Maybe more so than Izuku himself. "You shoulda passed out hours ago. Shit, anyone would have passed out hours ago."

"I…" It certainly wasn't difficult to understand Bakugou's bewilderment. Untreated injuries galore, who knew how long without sleep, and no doubt stressed and terrified about their situation… It surprised Izuku himself that he was even still able to form a coherent thought in his head…

In regards to Bakugou's observations though, he did have an answer.

Or more accurately, a theory.

"I…. I think It's part of my Quirk..." He answered, without certainty. In truth he had no idea, but this was the best answer he had, and he didn't see the harm in sharing his theory with Bakugou. "I… I'm not sure, but I think my Quirk has some… Some kind of trauma or impact dampening function." Truthfully, he'd had the suspicion for a while now, but had never been so utterly broken to ever confirm it, and hadn't ever been in a rush to test it out. But the sheer number of times he'd battered himself into a thousand tiny bits, and how he'd just kept on going… "I…. I think that my Quirk… Helps me to handle damage that I receive. Or at least manage it a bit more than I should be able to normally. I – I'm not too sure. But I shouldn't be conscious after the Forest… And I shouldn't have ever woken up, or managed to stay conscious. Not with injuries like this. Not when they haven't been treated at all… I'm… But that's just a guess… I'm not sure."

"The fuck do you mean you're not sure? It's your fucking Quirk, how do you not know how it works?"

For a moment, Izuku actually wanted to laugh. At Bakugou's lack of knowledge that his Quirk wasn't even his. That he thought Izuku would somehow know the full extent of this borrowed power. It wasn't really anything even remotely funny, but it was pretty much the only thing that had even slightly brought a genuine smile to the green haired boy's face in the last who knew how long.

He suppressed his laughs though. All that would do was anger Bakugou, and he didn't want to do that. Instead, he calmly stated, "I've never broken myself so badly before, Kacchan… Never pushed myself this hard… I… I guess I'm… Getting better at utilizing my Quirk…"

"…Why did you bother?"

"Huh?"

"I said, why did you bother? Coming after me?" Bakugou repeated his question with a lot less venom than Izuku was used to. No cursing, no yelling… nothing like that. "In fact… How did you even come after me? I've seen your Quirk – You weren't even close to being that fast when we took on All Might. There's no way that you would have caught up to us before the Warp Gate shut if you were still that slow. So how did you do it?"

That hadn't been the first time he'd done it either, Izuku knew.

He knew exactly what Bakugou was talking about, and he'd noticed that increase in his speed as well. When he'd dropped Kota off at the lodge back in the forest, when Aizawa had stopped Mina from following him… He'd been quicker then. Much faster than he was used to being. Almost twice as fast, though he wasn't doing anything different to his normal Full Cowl technique. Not even slightly different in any way whatsoever. He'd just ran, as fast as he thought he could, and that burst of speed had just come to him. In the moments themselves, he'd simply chalked it down to an adrenaline rush, or desperation…

Looking back though, that simply couldn't be the case. He couldn't have gotten that much speed from a simple adrenaline rush. Next to One For All, what would that even do for him? Would the two even interact in any way? Maybe a little, but he couldn't see it doing too much for his body. It just wouldn't be able to keep up with the sheer power that this foreign Quirk gave his unadapted body. Of course, there was every chance that he was wrong, but he couldn't think that his body's fight-or-flight response was in any way responsible for that.

Why he came back for Bakugou was irrelevant. He didn't want to know why his bullying target had gone so far to save him. Such knowledge would only damage his pride. The only reason he had asked was because he had needed a few seconds longer to find the better words for the job. So the first question could be safely disregarded, at least to the spiky haired boys knowledge.

To the curly haired boy though, he felt the answer to both questions were one in the same. He couldn't prove, or even claim to have a single piece of proof that his theory held up – That was what this was in its current form. A Theory. An idea. A mere guess… But it was the best one that he had right now.

"… I think it was Mina."

Bakugou simply glared at the green haired boy across the room with an expression of complete and total bewilderment, though he didn't say anything whatsoever. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, giving him funny looks, but in no way attempting to vocally oppose or protest, or demean and insult him. He just sat there, He let Izuku speak.

So he did.

"I… After I defeated the Villain that went after Kota," He'd explained his encounter with Muscular to Bakugou before, though he had reacted to it indifferently, at least externally. "... I ran to take him back to the lodge…. And Mina was there. She… She wanted to try and help me fight my way towards you… But I…. I didn't want her getting hurt. It was too dangerous…. I know that she's capable of looking after herself… But I just…" He paused, looking to the cold ground again as he spoke. Like he was hanging his head in shame. "…I … I was scared of her getting hurt because of me. I wasn't… Still aren't, in any position to protect people. So every instinct I had was screaming at me to just get away from her… Put as much distance between me and her as possible. Keep the Villains away from her if I could help it."

He couldn't help but scoff. That plan had proven to be a bust back then.

"When we all met up… And you and Fumikage were captured by that Compression Villain… All I could think about was rescuing the two of you. Trying to get you away from the League… To do something… When Mina showed up… I…. I felt this burning feeling." That was really the only way he could describe what he felt in that moment. A burning sensation in the pit of his stomach. "I wanted to protect her… Make sure she was safe… I..." He paused briefly, thinking back on everything that had happened. "… Maybe I… No, I don't have the right to tell her what she can and can't do. I – I know I don't… I couldn't tell her to just go back. But… I wanted to. Even if it meant that she'd be angry with me…. I wanted to make sure that she was safe, above everything else." Thinking back again, he had to chuckle slightly. "Maybe that's why she slapped me like she did… To get that message into my head…"

With everything that had happened over the last few days, he hadn't even stopped to think about how Mina had hit him. At the time, he hadn't really had the luxury of asking her what it was for, or even consider her words or her actions, before being thrown into the deep end again. It was forgotten immediately, as the pursuit of Mr. Compress started up again.

Being imprisoned, other things had been at the forefront of Izuku's mind… He just hadn't thought about that small interaction between the two of them.

What did it mean?...

Pushing those thoughts to the corner of his head for the time being, he continued with his explanation. "I wanted to save you, and keep Mina out of harm's way… I… I don't know. I was… I was desperate. A…. A Hero can't just leave those in trouble to fend for themselves… Even if they want to be left alone… And I…. I thought I could save you."

A sigh escaped his lips.

"Mina…. Made me feel like I could save you."

It was more accurate to say that when he was with Mina, Izuku felt like he could do anything. The desire to shatter every limitation that he had, the dream to conquer any obstacle in his way. When he was alone…. There was only so much he could do. Only so much that he felt he could do without being prepared to sacrifice everything that he had to give. He had felt like that when he'd fought Muscular. That feeling of overwhelming dread and fear that not even his life would be enough of a sacrifice to make to save someone. That feeling of being absolutely worthless.

That feeling of being poor, defenceless Izuku.

Of being Deku, who can't accomplish anything.

Yet…. Mina erased that doubt in him. She'd been erasing that doubt ever since they'd met. Talking to him, showing him the various things he was good at, getting him to be far more confident just being himself. Being there for him. Not letting him feel sorry for himself when he could be spending the time to better himself.

Team Awkward Energy. They would be the unstoppable badasses that would always stop the bad guys. No one would be able to stop them. They'd always stop the Villains and rescue the civilians who needed help. They'd be the best Hero Team ever.

Mina talked about that a lot, when the two of them were alone and talking about schoolwork or Heroism, and their futures. She had such enthusiasm for the idea of being a Hero Team together, Izuku had honestly began to share in her infectious enthral. Whenever he had some doubts about himself, about their team, Mina would always be there, to remind him, and to reinvigorate his passion and optimism. Even when the popularity of Teams in the Hero industry had plummeted to the point of near obscurity, Mina held onto their dream tightly, and refused to give it up. Not without trying everything that they could to make it a reality. Because Mina believed in their team.

She believed in them…

"Mina… She… I don't think I could have tried to save you… If she wasn't there with me." He sighed. "I felt… Like my Quirk had more power than it normally has…. Maybe… I'm getting used to it… Maybe…. Mina gives me the confidence to push myself harder…" He gulped. "Maybe… Maybe she's why… I've gotten so strong…"

Everything he'd achieved through his own efforts… The reason he'd been able to put so much effort into everything… It was because Mina had been supporting him. Ever since the Sports Festival, she'd been helping him go even further beyond his own limitations. Pushing him past the person he used to be, and into who he was now.

And yet… He hadn't even repaid her in the smallest of ways.

He hadn't told her he loved her…. Because he was selfish. Because he didn't want to lose her.

Because… He knew what it was like to have nothing… And he feared losing what he had now.

"What the actual fuck are you talking about?" Bakugou bluntly questioned, seeming to dismiss more or less everything that Izuku had just said. Not that the One For All Inheritor could blame him. He probably wasn't making any kind of sense, was he? Maybe he was right…

"Yeah… I don't know…" Izuku faked a weak smile. It had just been a guess… But it was honestly the best he could come up with. Maybe there was some truth to it. And maybe there wasn't. He just had no idea.

Maybe he just missed her, and that was all that this was…

That was one thing he was certain of. He missed her. He wanted to see her again…

To say everything to her that he should have just said from the start.

Just as those thoughts entered his head, Izuku felt the stinging shine of bright lights hit his eyes, the door to their room of confinement opening suddenly and without warning. Izuku could only think to look away and close his eyes tightly while he heard Bakugou curse and yell some profanities at the ones who entered the room, presumably also with his eyes firmly sealed shut. There was no chance he actually saw whoever actually entered the room. Even a dim light bulb would overwhelm both the young boy's optical abilities and render them temporarily blind, so operation lights working at full capacity left like enough to burn his eyes out. Reflexively, both the boys hissed at the sudden break in the darkness, like a pair of vampires.

Just like that though, as quickly as it appeared and burned Izuku's retinas, he could sense it disappear, only to be confirmed when he heard the metallic clang of a metallic door hitting a frame of the same material. Light stopped hitting his eyelids, and he could tell darkness had filled the room again.

Several seconds passed in total silence, neither Izuku or Bakugou able to open their eyes while they recovered.

"You are… An interesting development."

A deep, calm and collected voice accompanied a series of slow, deliberate footsteps that echoed throughout the room, slowly getting louder and louder as they approached the two boys. They were accompanied by another set of footsteps, though these steps were significantly quieter, and far more haphazard, no particular thought going into them. Even though Izuku hadn't even laid eyes on whoever it was that had just entered the room, he could already feel the air shift, and his senses screaming at him.

Telling him that both he and Bakugou were in incredible danger.

That sense, that dreadful feeling of fear and helplessness forced Izuku to open his eyes, even if they were still blurry and wouldn't give him the clearest a picture that he would normally get. He was however, able to make out the lines of a big, bulky black mask that covered the face of someone who was also big and stocky to match. The mask covered up any and all facial features, and allowed several tubes and pipes to stick out of the wearer's head, their purpose unknown. It seemed to be part of a two-piece design, based on the hooks that were attached to the mask. This left the mouth exposed, and Izuku able to see the very slight curl at the corner of the man's lips. A suit, which somehow gave an air of sophistication to this clearly viciously dangerous man, was all he wore aside from the face mask. A plain suit, with no noticeable features or adaptations, or adjustments to accommodate for mutations or Quirk utility. It was as plain as plain could be.

But Izuku could tell that this man could kill him as soon as look at him. He couldn't help but shudder. His body froze up, this time, nothing to do with the cold.

No Quirk was in effect. No trickery. No illusion.

This was just pure fear that was keeping him from moving.

Pure, simple fear. The same crippling reflex that just froze up an animal's body when faced with its natural predator shot straight through Izuku.

Standing beside this man was none other than Shigaraki, whom seemed to be glaring and grinning from ear to ear at the green haired boy, observing him through the gaps between the fingers of the hand that he kept permanently gripped to his face like some kind of mask. The insane Villain was stood there, his right-hand scratching at his neck slowly and repeatedly, as he simply awaited the new arrival to say, well, anything to the two prisoners he held.

Somehow, Izuku just knew.

"…. Capturing you was not a part of Tomura's plan. Your being here is unexpected." He was directing his speech towards Izuku, looking down on him, despite not having any visible eyes, unless they were hidden behind that face-concealing mask. How he saw with that thing on his head, Izuku had no idea. But somehow, he could tell that sight wasn't even a necessity for this monster. He radiated power.

Nothing could touch this man.

"Haaaah… This little brat's been nothing but a total pain in the neck, Sensei." Shigaraki spoke with what could only be described as a breathless enthusiasm, his scratching becoming more and more routine, and spread out all over his neck. "He's connected to All Might somehow! I know it!"

This man, Sensei… Izuku could only gulp. Shigaraki was calling this person Sensei? He knew it.

He knew it beyond any shadow of a doubt. There wasn't any mistake, and there wasn't any chance that he didn't know what was coming next.

His breathing started to increase. It couldn't be… But who else could it be? There was no one else that it could be. Somehow, the moment Izuku saw this man, he knew exactly who he was.

The man in front of him was All For One.

The mastermind behind the League of Villains. The man who could steal Quirks. The man who had single-handedly left All Might with such an injury it crippled his Hero Career for the rest of his life. The man who was, ironically, the reason One For All even existed in the first place.

And he the man who was going take One For All back.

"Is that so?" The Villain seemed to look at Izuku more, almost like he was ghosting his eyes over the green haired boy, inspecting him, as if he were unimpressed that this was someone that All Might had taken even the slightest of interests in. For some reason though, Izuku didn't get the sense that he was actually even seeing anything, in the most literal sense. Somehow, he just wasn't convinced that he was actually even being observed at the moment. "I've heard a great deal about you, Izuku Midoriya."

Words refused to leave Izuku's lips, not that he was sure of what he would even say if he could articulate a single cohesive sound. His eyes wouldn't – Couldn't – Leave All For One's face. Every instinct Izuku had screamed at him to run, but his muscles refused to move. Besides, where would he even go? What would he even do?

Absolutely nothing. He was totally at the Villains mercy.

"I thought that creepy hand fucker was the guy running things…. So you're the actual boss around here?"

To his immediate right, Izuku could hear Bakugou finally stirring up, honestly a little surprised he'd remained quiet for as long as he had done, though the time that he would hold his tongue had passed by rapidly. He must have done something to capture the attention of their captors, as the pair of them quickly turned their heads to face him not long after he'd finished speaking. They hadn't bothered to look while the Explosion Quirk user was actually addressing them. Izuku heard a metallic clang, presumably originating from Bakugou, attempting to get their attention focused on him, but he didn't turn his head at all to see.

His body refused to acknowledge anything outside of All For One as a threat, or of much importance whatsoever right now.

"I'm fuckin' talking to you!"

But to his side… He didn't need to see what Bakugou looked like to understand what had to be going through his head.

"All Might… Seriously… What the fuck?!..." The blond's voice was far more exasperated than angry in any sense of the word, like he was trying to piece together why he was the victim of some sort of elaborate joke that apparently the entire rest of existence had been in on. He almost sounded like he was on the verge of finally snapping and bursting into laughter from straight up losing his sanity over this crap. "You bastards sent an entire fucking squad of Villains to capture me, got Deku by accident, and now he's the fucking thing you're focused on?! Deku this, Deku that, Deku the other fucking bullshit!" His red eyes landed on his old childhood friend, burning with, more than anything, exasperated curiosity. "Talking about shit that doesn't make any sense…. And going on about something to do with All Might…"

Neither one of the Villains said a single word towards the tormented boy, nor did they seem particularly interested in acknowledging him at the moment. Given that the entire point of the forest invasion had indeed been to capture specifically Bakugou, Izuku couldn't say he was even slightly surprised with his absolute confusion. Frankly, Izuku suspected if their situations were reversed, he'd be just as bewildered. Even though Bakugou was perpetually angry towards him, Izuku could understand his fury in this respect.

At this point, for all Bakugou knew, he could have just been the bait, to lure Izuku in – Something that would no question be a shot to his pride.

All For One simply turned his head back towards the horrified One For All Inheritor, who hadn't budged even an inch. "Izuku Midoriya… From what I understand, your power causes you to break your own body with use, like your body is not used to such a Quirk…" His hands simply brought themselves together, palm across palm. "It's been a long time since I saw this Quirk in the hands of someone other than All Might." As he spoke, Shigaraki unlocked the cell door, allowing the monstrous Villain access into the cramped space Izuku was in.

With his back to the wall, Izuku couldn't even scramble away. What good would it even do? He couldn't speak, for whatever good that would do him. And with his body chained up like this, he couldn't even begin to try to fight. And even if he could…

He wasn't even trying to hide that he knew what Izuku was.

"…The fuck're you talking about?" Bakugou's voice had noticeably changed. For the first time in a long, long time, Izuku didn't hear even the slightest trace of fury in his voice. There wasn't even a hint of anger. It was difficult to tell if he was talking about the master Villain before him, or to Izuku himself.

Honestly, the One For All inheritor had absolutely no idea which would be worse.

A glance towards Bakugou, and then back to Izuku. All For One had a smirk on the exposed lower half of the mask he wore, making his overall face just that bit more sinister. "And he forces his protégés to hold onto the secret behind it, it seems. I'm sure he gave you no choice but to keep it a secret, to protect his status as the Symbol of Peace, correct?"

"Deku, what the fuck is he talking about?!"

"I've been looking forward to reclaiming this Quirk. I must thank you for returning it to me, Izuku Midoriya."

Izuku felt his eyes widen as wide as they would go, and his heart slam against his chest. He saw Shigaraki's grin grow wider and wider, as All For One entered Izuku's cell, approaching him slowly, step by painstaking step.

"A Quirk that can be passed down from person to person, becoming stronger and stronger with each person who wields it…" His deep voice only sent more and more shivers through the terrified inheritor's body. His hand started to glow a dark red colour, no question coming from his own Quirks activation. "A power so great, not even its current holder's body is able to withstand the strain of unleashing it, turning his own bodies into dust." Another step closer. "It was such a weak Quirk when it was born… And now is capable of such incredible feats. Just like a person, the more it grows, the stronger it is."

All For One was the indirect creator of One For All. He knew every single detail about the exceptionally powerful Quirk. How it worked, the secret behind its transference…

One more step closer. He now stood at the base of Izuku's feet, towering above him like he were a giant. "A society filled with Heroes who won't even act as Heroes… Even the legendary All Might became a liar, endangering but a poor Quirkless child, getting you into this situation, and he's not even here to save you..."

When had Izuku's eyes started to water up? He had no clue. And he didn't know why. Were his eyes just dry from his inability to blink? Was it in the face of overwhelming power? That he remembered what happened to those who had their powers stolen by All For One?

Or was it just pure fear that was having this effect on him?

"N-No…" Was all Izuku could even dare to utter, whilst All For One leaned towards him, and reached out to grab his face, to steal the power gifted to him by All Might, to steal his dream from him, to rip away everything he'd worked so hard for…

All For One was about to become the most powerful being in all of existence, without question.

And Izuku couldn't even bring himself to scramble away from it.

The only thing he could think to do was to firmly close his eyes, and await the darkness to come, repeatedly apologizing in his head. To All Might. To Kacchan. To his mother.

To Mina.

To everyone. For letting them down. And for the fact he wasn't going to be around to accept the responsibility. For not being able to do anything to stop this. For the first time in a long, long time, he truly was helpless. And he knew it.

He was terrified.

The red glow made its way through the thin layers of his eyelids, letting him see a vague, blurry red glow even with his firmly closed eyes. His breath ceased as he awaited blackness.

Suddenly, it came.

Along with the sound of receding footsteps.

"Master?! What are you doing?!" Shigaraki's voice rang out, now bewildered and confused, nasally as ever. "Aren't you going to reclaim All Might's power?!"

"I cannot make every decision for you, Tomura. If I choose for you, then you will learn nothing. These are your prisoners, and it is up to you to decide what to do with them." The now quieter voice of the large Villain still ominously bellowed throughout the room, though clearly he had left Izuku alone. "And in any case, that power would simply not suit your needs. It would require training that you would not be able to withstand. I fear it would tear your body apart."

Izuku's eyes very slowly reopened, the cold sweat on his forehead dripping down his face and onto the ground, his trembling body, and his rapid breathing all suddenly became known to the green haired boy again. He'd thought he'd been holding his breath the whole time. That he'd been totally still. Or had he been far too scared to notice? Had his fear left him blanking out even his automatic functions as a human being? Made him forget how to even breathe?

The Decay Quirk user exasperatedly looked back towards the horrified and shaking boy, his grin now turned into a frown and a glare. No effort was made to disguise the pure disgust or hatred that brewed within Shigaraki, nor did he hide the resentment he had for his master's choice to leave One For All within Izuku.

His glare turned into a snarl as he spoke. "Don't get too comfortable." As he spoke, the true leader of the League of Villains opened the door, and bright light began to fill the pitch black room. "You're going to be dead before this night is over, Izuku Midoriya."

Darkness returned just as soon as it arrived, though not once did Izuku's eyes ever shut. He simply stared at the open door, and watched it close, unable to bring himself to move in the slightest.

What had… Just happened? Everything had occurred so quickly, and so much had just gone down. His brain was just filled with thoughts of what had just happened. Millions of questions rattled through his head. Questions he doubted that he'd ever receive definitive answers to. Questions he didn't think he wanted the answers to. His thudding heart had sent blood all throughout his body, warming him up, but that was fleeting, and cold became known to him again.

Why?... Why was he alive right now?

What on earth had All For One been thinking?... Why hadn't he stolen – Or more accurately reclaimed – One For All? Why… What?...

What had been the point of what had just happened?...

His heavy breathing calmed down as time slowly progressed, his heart finally deigning to calm down. So many questions…

And when he finally moved his head to look towards Bakugou, his eyes wide, but firmly focused on the Quirk Inheritor…

* * *

"A successful rescue mission that doesn't involve fighting anyone isn't exactly a very likely outcome."

Tsuyu was the one who finally spoke, breaking the silence that the rescue group had maintained since stepping foot on the train. And unlike those who were focusing primarily on the rescue of their classmates, she was keeping a level head on her shoulders. She was thinking a lot more rationally, and knew that proper likelihood that their way of skirting around the law would actually have of success. Which was, unfortunately, next to none.

Unlike Iida and Yaoyorozu though, she wasn't holding that information back. She was laying it thick onto the more hard-headed members, without restriction.

She didn't receive any real argument from anyone on that front. She got a couple of looks of disapproval and disparity, but no one vocally said anything. While they had been adamant that their operation would be within the boundaries of the law, that they wouldn't cross the line and end up just as bad as any Villain, deep down, past all their determined grit and narrow-minded determination, Kirishima, Todoroki, Uraraka and Mina all knew where their plans were realistically headed. They all knew the reality of the situation.

Even if they managed to locate the Villains lair, find the Villains themselves, locate Izuku and Bakugou wherever they were, and did this all before the Heroes got anywhere close to them… What were the chances that they were going to do all of this without ending up in a dangerous situation?

It was deep, thick mud that they were all headed into. And everyone knew it.

Use of Quirks without permission. Heading out on their own to locate their two classmates despite explicit instructions not to do so. Taking the law into their own hands. Endangering themselves and others. Interfering with official Hero and Police business… No doubt another fifty or sixty things they could be charged with if this all went horrendously, and no slap on the wrist was going to save them from the full wrath of the justice system.

The reality of the situation was that a lot of them knew they weren't really going to be able to do anything. Not if they were going to keep their word not to get involved in a fight, or do anything that put them at risk.

By the time Tsuyu had actually said anything, the train was only about an hour and a half away from arriving in the Kamino ward, with only a few stations they needed to stop at on the way there. Every second that the train was stopped, not moving anywhere, was a moment that Mina felt made her go a little bit more crazy. Being cramped inside the giant locomotive was bad enough, but the pink girl couldn't help but let her mind wander to the worst possible places. What if they were too late? What if the Villains had already made their move and escaped? What if Yaomomo's tracking device wasn't entirely accurate?

What if Izuku had already been…

She couldn't shake these thoughts. Not any of the guilt that she felt for what had happened to Izuku. Her mind racing with all the things that she needed to tell him when they finally rescued him, and she could actually see him right in front of her. All the things that she needed to apologize for. All the things that she needed to get off her chest. The things she needed to confess.

Her brain still was filled with guilt for those around her though.

No matter what way her brain sliced it, all of them were only here at all because of her and her failings. Her inability to stop Izuku from doing such reckless things that caused this mess. Her own lack of restraint and compromise when 'Bakugou' had shown up had no question caused everyone a great deal of stress and anxiety, even if she had turned out to be right in the end. Her and Kirishima's failure to stop her, which was why they had had that massive rush to get to their friends before the shapeshifter could report anything…

So much of this was her fault for one reason or another, and that didn't sit well with her. It made her feel ill, to be frank.

"…I must say, I was surprised by your decision to join this mission, Uraraka."

Mina glanced towards the Creation Quirk user as she made her statement towards the brown-haired girl, whom now looked up at her face with a mixture of confusion and surprise. To be honest, Mina agreed with Yaoyorozu. Though she was grateful for any and all additional help, one of the last people that she had expected to ready themselves for battle was Uraraka. Even more bizarre had been the way that she had so openly and readily utilized her Quirk an actual Police Officer when she'd needed to. She hadn't held back at all either. She'd almost gone off like a bullet, reacting immediately once she felt that she was needed. How much of that came from her training with Gunhead and the drastic improvement she'd made since then, and how much of it was just her own basic instinct was up for debate.

Either way, it had been a shock to see.

"To be honest, it surprised me a lot as well." Uraraka confessed, scratching the side of her cheek while her eyes glanced to the side. "I just kind of… Moved without even realizing it."

"In fairness, I guess that officer was attracted by all the noise we made, huh? Maybe that's why he moved against us..." Kirishima pointed out. "Not that we could have done anything about it, though…"

Uraraka nodded. "I'm not sure if I would have come along if it were just Bakugou. I… He'd probably see being rescued by everyone as an insult…" Her head then turned away from the taller girl, and looked out the window, watching the countryside pass them by. "And… After everything that Ashido told us about how he treated Deku…"

Silence fell on everyone again. Everything Mina had told them had been the truth, but it was clear that not everyone fully wanted to believe it. A volatile, anti-social, vulgar mouthed and aggressive punk that he was, there wasn't any denying the sheer dedication that he put into becoming a Hero, and how serious he was about it. No matter what their opinion of him personally was, it was hard not not have at least some respect for him, his Quirk, and his abilities. He was rough around the edges, sure, but no one honestly thought that he'd go down the path of Villainy…

No one was perfect, and some people could even get past the fact he used to be abrasive and pushed people around – He was at Yuuei, so logically he regretted it and had put that all behind him, right?...

According to Mina though, and with complete accuracy, that treatment of his most frequent victim simply hadn't stopped. No one had noticed, because they had assumed there were personal problems that made Bakugou aggressive towards Izuku, but never outright hostile. His bloodlust during combat training didn't seem exclusive to Izuku, and for the most part, recently he'd left the guy completely alone. A possible sign of him slowly calming down, in their eyes.

But telling someone to end their own life… Learning that his treatment hadn't ever stopped, but he'd just reigned it in to avoid risk of getting thrown out of Yuuei…

That apparently, he'd done to this someone who had been Quirkless to boot… While few people could really claim to fully understand the mechanics of how that worked, Mina's explosion had pretty much confirmed there was some truth to it, no matter how ridiculous that it might have seemed. But that meant that not only had Bakugou been a bully, he'd been treating someone with a birth defect so cruelly, based on his own powers?

Sickening wasn't even the right word.

A small croaking noise came from Tsuyu as she lowered her head in agreement. She had already told the group that the main reason she was there was to back up Iida and Yaoyorozu, to reign everyone in if she thought that things were going to get messy. Worried about her captured classmates as she was, she didn't want anyone else getting hurt that didn't need to. She didn't want to see her friends wind up getting arrested, or thrown out of Yuuei, or whatever could happen. That didn't mean she didn't have her own opinions on what was going on, or that she didn't want to save Izuku and Bakugou… But recalling everything that one had done to the other, the other being one of her first friends at Yuuei…

Knowing that she'd seen it – That they'd all seen it – And just let it slide… No one felt good about themselves. No one honestly knew what to think about that particular situation.

No one aside from Mina knew how they really felt about Bakugou…

"….Kirishima." Mina finally spoke, slowly lifting her head from staring at her balled-up fists, towards the teenager directly opposite her.

He had been eating some sort of lunch box that the train provided while staring out the window, to keep his strength up, food being something Mina hadn't been able to stomach for the last few days. He quickly noticed her movements, and turned his head towards her, swallowing whatever was in his mouth quickly before talking. "Yeah, Ashido?"

She knew the words that she wanted to say to him, but for the briefest of moments, they simply didn't come. Not because she knew that she was conceding anything, giving up some kind of argument she had felt compelled to win…. But out of guilt. Guilt that she even had to do this, because of just how bizarre she'd been acting ever since the lodge. Whatever she'd thought back then…. She knew he deserved this now.

"… I'm sorry."

Both their eyes had made line-of-sight contact as she'd spoken, and she didn't dare blink, for fear that Kirishima would see her apology as disingenuous. She meant it, and wanted him to know that. She was sorry. And she felt awful about everything.

Of everyone in 1A, he deserved an apology the most.

For his part, the Hardening Quirk user just blinked a couple of times and raised an eyebrow over his scarred eye. "What're you apologizing for?" He sounded honestly confused, like he didn't know what was going on.

"Everything." Mina sighed, looking out the window. "Being… Harsh towards you. Taking everything out on you…. When that Shapeshifter showed up as Bakugou…. I completely turned against you just because you thought your friend had come back… And I didn't want 'him' on the rescue team, even though what you said made more sense. And… When you came to try and talk to me, I…"

Nothing but shame washed over her for how she'd talked to him. How she'd tried to make him feel so awful. How she'd tried to turn him against Bakugou back then. Nothing about what she'd done back then even vaguely resembled the person that she was, the person she felt she was, or the person that she wanted to be. Kirishima had been the one to bring back some kind of light into this situation, who had approached her and told her he was willing to risk everything just to try and help her save her boyfriend.

"…Even after we all thought Bakugou came back… You didn't change the mission at all. You still… You wanted to help save Izuku, even when you two aren't the closest of friends… And I treated you like dirt. Because I was just so angry at…. Everything that was happening. At everyone for being able to be so relieved that someone like him had been released by the Villains… And then you saved my life from that girl… I… "

"Don't. Stop that."

Holding up one of his hands almost like a stop sign, Kirishima's voice made Mina look towards him again. He was clearly trying to stay strong right now, to hide behind that manly façade he kept up ever since middle school ended. Still, his voice was strong, and his actions spoke for themselves.

"… I'm the one who should be apologizing to you, Ashido." He said, sighing as he lowered his hand into his open, opposing palm. "Once we thought Bakugou returned, I didn't even think about how that was going to affect you. You're still worried now, and I can't even imagine what it must have felt like when 'Bakugou' showed up, covered in blood. I…. Completely forgot about everything you were going through for a while." He looked ashamed himself. "I… I still stand by what I said. If we had more people, the mission would have had a better chance of success. There's seven of us now. I think we've got a shot at this… But I didn't consider how bringing him along would have felt for you. Of course you'd oppose it…"

His right hand slowly rose again, to which he stared at in complete horror.

"And I… I hit you."

He almost sounded like he was about to break down from that fact and that fact alone. It had been a solid punch, and he hadn't held back with it at all. The only way that it could have been more painful was if he'd activated his Quirk on top of it. Mina lightly touched the bruise that she still had on the side of her cheek. His strike had been as much of a shock to her as it had been to him.

Shaking his head, he clamped his left hand over his dominant hand tightly. "That wasn't right. Forget it not being heroic, or not being manly… It just plain wasn't right. And there's no justifying it. I'm sorry, I am so sorry, Ashido."

"… Don't be." Mina told him, sitting back in her set. "To be honest… I think it snapped me out of my madness back then. I think I needed something like that." She wasn't making it up either. Only after that hit had she been able to force herself to calm down, and think rationally again. In a way, Kirishima hitting her had been the best thing for her in that moment. She had needed it. And she didn't hold it against him. Not in the slightest.

"That doesn't make it right!"

"Then I forgive you for it. Completely and entirely, dude."

Seven seconds of silence passed between the two of them, Kirishima's guilt still evident in the way he sat, and how he looked, while Mina's remorse still ran clearly throughout her eyes. The two friends had said and done things to one another they hadn't meant, and never would mean. Even though they weren't particularly close back at Yuuei, or in middle school, they held one another in respect, and didn't want to hurt one another.

"… I guess we've got a lot of stuff we feel bad about…" Mina finally said, trying to offer a small smile to the boy across from her. This back and forth, it wouldn't get them anywhere, and if they kept bringing up all the things that they'd done to one another recently, they'd end up being here all day. "…For what it's worth, I don't hold anything against you. I understand why you did what you did… And I think you can understand why I did what I did…. So… Let's just leave it at that?"

Kirishima nodded in agreement, believing that to be the best course of action, though he couldn't stop himself. "I am sorry, Ashido. I really am."

"…Yeah. I am too." Mina nodded back at him, echoing his sentiments exactly. Their mutual apologies had, admittedly, made her feel a little bit better about the whole fiasco. Not much, but she did feel a little less tense for having cleared the air. Close or not, she didn't dislike the guy at all. She respected him well enough.

"…We're going to get them back, you know." He told her, sternly. "We're gonna save him, and you and Midoriya are gonna have a long overdue talk." That part in particular caught Mina's attention, making her look up at him properly again. He didn't stop talking though. "You guys have some stuff you need to work through. You're gonna have to work them out, or something like this is gonna happen again."

He wasn't wrong. Mina knew she and Izuku, they didn't have the absolute perfect relationship. No couple did. But there were things Mina needed to say, and Izuku may have things he wanted to say to her. She didn't know. But there were issues. Things that they needed to talk about.

Things that needed to be resolved if they wanted to stay together.

"… For the record." Todoroki stated aloud, for the rest of the group to hear him. Once he knew that everyone was paying attention to him, he carried on. "…I'm going to say this so we're all on the same page. What we're doing here is based on pride. Even if that's not why we're doing it, that's how everyone else is going to see it, and no one will ever approve of it. Sero, Kaminari and Mineta helped us, but if they want to keep any chance of attending Yuuei, they'll claim that we didn't leave them with any choice."

Not unreasonable, and not an action anyone on the train would blame them for. Technically, they were the ones in the right, and there was absolutely no reason for them to take the fall if they could get away with it. Mina wouldn't hold it against them.

"…This is partly my fault, I know." The Half-Cold-Half-Hot Quirk user admitted. "That girl caught me off guard. I was concerned that my ice would rip the front of the hospital apart, so I held back. Because of that, Midoriya and Bakugou are in danger, so I can't walk away from this… But if anyone wants to back out now, now would be a good time to do it."

It was Kirishima who reacted first and without any hesitation. He took another bite out of his meal, chewing while he spoke. "If I wasn't sure about this, I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place! I'm seeing this through, no matter what!"

"That's right!" Uraraka next, her hands balled up into fists. "I know I made my choice in the heat of the moment, but I'm certain about doing this! Deku's helped me more times than I can count, so this is the least that I can do!"

"And I'm here to help Iida and Yaoyorozu keep you all in check. I can't turn and run now." Tsuyu spoke right after her friend, though she didn't turn her head to look at anyone as she spoke. The did seem to be a little bit of internal conflict within the Frog-Form girl, but she was putting it aside, trying to focus more on the good that this mission could do than the bad that it would inevitably cause to befall them.

There wasn't any sort of doubt on Mina's side. Nothing that even slightly compelled her to even consider turning back now. The mission, its outcome, everything had much too much meaning to her.

Ever since she and Izuku had started dating, he had been the one who had led the pair of them. She was the more openly flirty and affectionate, and took the lead in the intimacy and relationship part of things, but Izuku was the one who had been in charge, when she thought about it. He was the one who had taught her, brought out the best in her. Shown her that she could be more than she already was. He was the reason that she had grown in her confidence, both physical and academic. He had picked her up when she was down, and helped her out of terrible situations. He'd always protected her.

It had always been him helping her…

"…I couldn't live with myself if I turned back now." She said, feeling the rest of their groups eyes fall on her. "Izuku's been… He's been the reason that I'm the way I am now. He's brought out the best in me… And protected me… I adore the guy. I love him."

Her fist tightened, and she looked back at her group.

"There's no going back. This time, I'm going to be the one who saves him."


	51. Long Overdue - Part 2

"… So your Quirk… Isn't your Quirk."

"…No."

"… It's All Might's."

"… Yes."

"And All Might gave it to you after you tried to help me from that sludge fucker a year ago?"

"He… Trained me until the Yuuei Entrance Exams… But that's when he approached me, yes."

Bakugou let out what was probably the twentieth sigh throughout the current conversation. He was disturbingly quiet, which only made Izuku feel more and more tense. He could feel the Explosion Quirk users brain turning, churning, assessing and thinking of everything in his head, trying to make sense of it all. Seeing if he believed all of what he'd been told, or if Izuku was trying to trick him in some way again.

Hiding One For All at this point was just pointless. All For One had pretty much exposed Izuku's Quirk entirely, for whatever reason that might have been. Pretending that he had no clue what the Villain was talking about wasn't going to work – Bakugou wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. So he'd done the only thing, really, that he could do.

And that was telling Bakugou the full story from his perspective. Start to finish, but without mentioning All Might's Quirkless past, or about his true form. He did what very little he could do to follow his tutors wishes, to try and keep the legend, and the symbol of All Might's image alive.

It wasn't much at all, but it was all he could think to try. Those two things weren't his to reveal.

The entire situation was, in a word, contrived, and Izuku didn't know what purpose it served the Villains to expose the truth to Bakugou. If they wanted to ruin All Might's name, why would they not just go public with the knowledge that they had? Why go out of their way to specifically inform Bakugou about the truth behind the Power Stockpiling Quirk? Had that been the reason that they'd kidnapped him in the first place? Just to reveal that to him? If that were the case, what exactly did it achieve? Were they hoping for some kind of domino effect that would wreck the reputation of the world's number one Hero? There was just far, far too much about this plan that didn't make any real sense, and Izuku was starting to doubt he'd figure it out himself. He simply knew too little about these Villains and their plans to make any guesses, accurate or not.

As he received more information, Bakugou's expressions fell from any of the normal hard lines or edges that Izuku had always remembered. No creases or wrinkles from frowns and scowls. His face was one of total neutrality, expressing little to no emotion outwardly, as he processed everything that he'd been told about One For All, about All Might, and about Izuku. He was putting the pieces together, the bits that had never made sense to him, and was playing a matching game in his brain where he filled in the previously unknown blanks with the new pockets of information. Things quickly began to fit in and make a lot of sense.

Far too much sense for him to dismiss as the ravings of a Hero obsessed lunatic.

A Quirk that could steal another person's Quirk was already completely crazy and insane a concept to understand, but it was something that Bakugou had almost watched happen right in front of him, and he didn't doubt the genuine existence of it. The way that Izuku had reacted towards this supposed power gave away that he knew the Villain in front of him, somehow. His reactions he been genuine. Made All For One seem genuine.

And once one accepted the existence of All For One, One For All suddenly became much more feasible a Quirk to imagine existing.

The sad fact was, if Bakugou learned about the existence of All For One, he would probably figure out that the Quirk Izuku had wasn't his. Because of his own stupid compulsion to tell him the truth when Yuuei first started. That his power was given to him by someone else. If there had been even a single shred of evidence backing up the idea of transferable Quirks…

Izuku had dug his own grave, and the bullet had been fired the minute All For One walked into the room.

"…So when you said that your power was borrowed…"

"…" It didn't need answering.

So much of this information had to conflict with what Bakugou had come up with in his own head. His beliefs that Izuku had been mocking him for over a decade were suddenly out the window…

It really was impossible to tell what his overall reaction was going to be.

"… You're a fucking idiot."

Honestly, Izuku wondered what else he had been expecting.

"So you get given this by freaking All Might, and you thought that the best course of fucking action was the stay completely silent when the big boss fucker showed up and interrogated you on it? The same guy who, according to you, made your fucking Quirk in the first place?"

"W - What good would denying it have done anyway? He already knew about it…"

The normally aggressive fair-haired boy looked away from the green haired boy, down towards the ground, where none of his expressions could be seen. He might have had his eyes shut, but it was too dark for Izuku to honestly tell. He stayed like that for a short while, not moving, or even breathing as far as Izuku could tell. Contemplating, no doubt, everything that had happened in the last semester.

And how much of it was attributed to this new information.

"…Who else knows?" Was the next question he asked, quietly, by the standards that he would normally ask questions at. He almost sounded like he'd resigned to some sort of guilt that had crept up on him. Guilt for what, no one could really say. Why he was asking was also another question that entered the holders head, but he didn't vocalize it.

The Quirk inheritor did a quick recap in his head, making sure he wasn't forgetting anyone. "I uh…. All Might, obviously…. Recovery Girl… One of All Might's friends in the police force. A couple of the teachers. I…. I think the Headmaster knows…. And I told Mina."

"Of course she fucking knows." Bakugou flatly stated, almost sounding like he was on the verge of letting out a bitter, sarcastic laugh. "I'm sure you tell her every fucking thing. Of course she knows."

"…Not everything."

Izuku felt his head fall as he admitted that, falling back towards the ground, remembering the many things he hadn't told her. Things he absolutely should have said to her before something like this happened. That he wanted to say to her right now, but couldn't. Not while he was here, and not while his chances of actually leaving this place alive seemed so small.

He was almost hesitant to even say anything. Bakugou wasn't exactly his first choice when it came to talking about this kind of thing. He'd rather talk to someone like Aoyama, and he'd never even had a conversation with him – As well as him being just a bit weird. Bakugou was someone that Izuku honestly never knew where he stood with. He never knew if he could even talk to him or not.

Then again, what other choice did they really have?

Bakugou hadn't stated anything that even implied disinterest. He hadn't shrugged off anything. He hadn't told Izuku to shut up. He was just sat there, quietly, like he was waiting for his old friend to continue.

"… I never told her that I loved her."

That had been a mistake. Never telling her that. He'd had more than enough time to come to that conclusion, over and over in his head. So much so that it was screaming. Screaming in his brain at how much of an idiot he'd been. How much of a coward he'd been.

How much he'd let her down. All the promises that he'd be more careful, that he wouldn't hurt himself, that he'd talk to her when something needed to be talked about… All of it. That was honestly the worst part of it all. How much he felt he'd let her down. How much he'd truly screwed up.

And how much that had to have hurt her.

"Why not?"

Not one for waiting around, or for the small pauses that Izuku had to take to recompose himself, Bakugou simply requested Izuku keep talking. Again, anger wasn't present. More… If Izuku had to describe it, it sounded more like remorseful curiosity. Where the remorse part came in, he had no idea. Bakugou wasn't the type of person to feel much remorse for things he'd done, at least as far as he knew.

Maybe he actually knew why. But he wanted to hear it.

"… Everything good that happens to me leaves because I accept it."

The only response Bakugou gave was a quirked eyebrow. So Izuku continued.

"… When we were kids… We all just assumed I'd get a Quirk. Until we figured out… That I was Quirkless… We all just accepted that it would happen eventually. I… I didn't want to accept it, so… I kept on pushing against it. I kept trying to become a Hero, even without a Quirk… Because I didn't want to accept reality... And it felt like the moment I accepted reality… That would be it." Izuku sighed, remembering the torment and torture he'd had to grin and bear through during his entire childhood. How being born Quirkless had robbed him of any chance to have a normal life in this world filled with the extraordinary. He remembered not wanting to accept it as the true way of things…

And knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, but one he simply refused to give in to. The moment he did… Was the moment that his dreams died.

"If I made friends… It wasn't long until they just left. If anything good happened to me… It would always blow up in my face… So… I… When I got All Might's power… I… I knew it wasn't mine." He looked at his torn-up arms, looking at how utterly broken they truly were. "Look at me… This isn't the result of someone who actually owns their Quirk… So I… I can't accept it as my own power. And… And if I did… I… I know, I just know… All Might would want it back." It made no sense, and Izuku knew deep down, he was being irrational. He wasn't making sense. All Might was his tutor, and he really did owe him so much…

But that was part of why his fear that his Hero would ask for it back.

Maybe taking it back could return him to full power. It could remove his time limit maybe… He could be the Symbol of Peace for years, decades, to come. Izuku didn't know if those were potential outcomes… But if All Might asked for One For All back… How could be refuse?

The answer was simple. He couldn't. He didn't have that right. One For All was a power that needed refining, training, progress and a long, long time to master… but According to Gran Torino, that had never been the case with All Might. He had just adapted to it perfectly, and been straight on his way to becoming the world's top Hero.

He couldn't refuse that One For All was still his mentors Quirk more than it was his own. If it could even begin to save All Might's Hero career… Izuku didn't have a choice in the matter. He wouldn't argue. He couldn't do that. Not after everything All Might had done for him.

If he accepted his power as his own… All Might would want it back. That was… Just how reality worked for Izuku.

… But that wasn't the worst part.

"… Mina… If… If I accept that Mina is part of my life… If I told her that I love her…" He felt his jaw tightening, and his teeth gritting against one another. "If – If I told her that that she's the most important, the most special part of it…. Then – "

"You'd drive her away, right?" Bakugou finished off Izuku's sentence for him, forcefully and verbally shutting him up. "I think I got the fucking idea."

The green haired boy rubbed his eyes against his shoulders, trying to get rid of the tears that had formed up while he was thinking about why he'd never told Mina how he truly felt about her. He knew that it was selfish to keep it all to himself just because he didn't want to lose her. How insecure he was because of it. He was wallowing in self-pity, and he knew that very well. And it just wasn't fair to Mina. It hadn't been fair to her this entire time.

He was scared. That was all.

Scared that he'd lose someone who made him feel like he could do anything. That he'd lose someone who made him feel like he'd been accepted. Someone who made him feel like things were going to be okay, no matter how bad they got.

Someone who truly believed in him. That he truly could become a Hero, and stood by him after learning all there was to learn about him.

Someone who he… "… I couldn't even be honest with Mina…"

"… And how much of that was my fault?"

Not a sarcastic remark. Not a bitter dismissal. Not any way to try and deflect the blame onto someone else, or even denying that there was some kind of fault.

Bakugou was asking a genuine question. It honestly made Izuku flinch for a moment, not from fear, but from sheer surprise. "K-Kacchan?"

"If you're going to imply it's my fault, you can just fucking say it and save us some time."

"I – I wasn't – "

"You should tell her."

That caught Izuku off guard. For a few seconds he didn't dare to even blink, unsure of what he had just heard. Was…

In this giant, large, various and diverse world, was Bakugou, of everyone out there, trying to encourage him on his relationship? "W – What?"

"I am not being responsible for your fucked-up relationship, Deku. That's not on my head. Either you'll tell or, or I'll fucking do tell her what you said here. Got it?"

There wasn't any time to carry on the conversation though, as the metal door that held them captive suddenly flung open, blinding the pair of them once more.

"Alright. Time to get go."

* * *

Arriving at the new ward at just a few minutes after ten at night, the seven Yuuei students quickly navigated their way out of the station, and found themselves onto a main street, jam packed with people. Todoroki scanned the street they had arrived at, looking left to right, and taking account of the sheer number of individuals.

"It sure is crowded here."

Even during the late night, the Kamino Ward was still a lively and bustling place, filled with all sorts of people doing who knew what. Heroes and civilians alive, of all shapes, sizes and Quirks. People who were shopping, people who were out for a good time, a night on the town, people interested in seeing what the nightlife had to offer at the clubs and bars that were scattered around this place. In the case of Heroes, since the area was always so busy with any potential number of people who could possibly commit crimes, a patrol or two always had to be in place to try and deter anyone who wanted to test their luck at pickpocketing or mugging, or other crimes, violent or not. There were teenagers, who probably weren't supposed to be here, but somehow blended into the crowd just as easy as any of those in their early twenties to mid-forties. All kinds of Mutation Type Quirks were on display, from horns to tails, wings and feathers, though this was the same anywhere in the world.

This was normal for this sort of ward. Nothing was particularly out of the ordinary, at least as far as Mina could tell.

"It's a shopping and a nightlife area." She informed the burned boy, taking a few steps ahead of the rest of the group to properly inspect the street. "It's actually pretty calm for this kind of place. There's normally a lot more people here."

"You've been here before?" Uraraka questioned, glancing around the place, orientating herself with her new surroundings.

The pink skinned girl shrugged. "A couple of times. Not exactly here, but I've come to the ward with friends back in middle school. Not enough to know the area that well, but I know the vibe well enough."

When she thought about it, the logic made sense as to why the Villains would chose this place to be their hideout as well. In such a normally dense area, filled with all manner of type of people, if they needed to leave, they could blend in without anyone even suspecting them. All they'd need was a hoodie or something and they'd be part of the crowd, unnoticeable and virtually invisible. Alongside which, so many people and buildings would make it nearly impossible to pin down an exact location without any prior information, like what Yaoyorozu had been able to get. Otherwise, Heroes would wind up spending months searching for leads, and might not be able to turn up anything.

And given that the Villains had someone with a Warp Quirk, it was virtually a moot point anyway.

"So, these jerks're hiding out here, somewhere, right?" Kirishima questioned, looking towards the Creation Quirk user impatiently.

Yaoyorozu quickly glanced at the tracker that she had been keeping within her bag. She did some sort of check over the screen, that apparently made sense to her in some way, before she turned to look at the Hardening Quirk user, and nodded confidentially. "There's no doubt. They're in this ward."

Mina felt her own heart race a little bit at this statement. That meant that Izuku was nearby. Somewhere in this city. He was somewhere close, waiting for someone to rescue him.

That or he was trying to break out himself. Either way, he was close, and they were going to save him.

Right now.

"Do you know which way he is, Yaomomo?!" The Acid Quirk user quickly made her way towards her taller friend, looking at her with a clear expression of desperation and a total lack of patience. She wanted to go to rescue Izuku right now, without thinking about anything else. Not about any of the risks that came with just charging right in, not about the promise that had been made not to end up fighting a large group of Villains and ending up in prison for this, or anything else. The only thing on her mind was rescuing her boyfriend, by whatever means she needed to so.

Kirishima also expressed that same desire, always charging off, although where exactly he thought he was going, no one really had any kind of idea. "Where're we headed?!"

"Please, both of you just need to calm down a moment!" The black-haired girl called out, making the red-haired boy stop, and make Mina take a step back. Hearing Yaoyorozu raise her voice like this at all was a bit of a rarity, though considering the serious situation that they were in, it shouldn't have come across as a surprise to anyone. "We need to be extremely vigilant from here on out! The Villains know our faces! If the Shapeshifting Villain arrived here at the same time as us and gets word back to her group, that could result in disaster for both Bakugou and Midoriya!"

Though she didn't like the idea of having to take anything slowly at this point, Mina had to admit that Yaoyorozu brought up good points. The chances were, with a crowd like this, a bunch of high schoolers were going to stand out. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Shapeshifting Villain could take any form that she wanted, and would be able to blend in. Worst of all, they probably wouldn't even be able to see that Villain because of the sheer number of people here, even if they didn't need to worry about Toga changing her appearance. No matter which way it was stacked, the cards were against them. If they weren't careful, those cards would collapse.

Izuku and Bakugou could be killed at the drop of a hat. Or moved, or whatever those bastards were going to do. The situation was bad no matter what way they got found out. So, the only way to stop that was to not get found out.

"So… We gotta be all secretive, right?" To go along with this, Mina pulled up the hood on Izuku's jacket, and tried to use it to cover up her face. Unfortunately, because of her horns, the fabric wouldn't stretch far enough – This wasn't a custom designed jacket, like some of Mina's clothing was. Izuku had no mutations, so this was just a standard thing. "Stupid… Hood…!"

In an effort to compensate, Mina tried to cover up her face with the jacket. While it did technically hide her face… She looked ridiculous. And her horns were still on display – Nothing could really be done about that.

"I don't think that will hide you very well, Ashido." Tsuyu flatly stated, pulling the hood down for the pink girl. All Mina could do was sigh.

"Ashido is correct though." Iida stated, looking at his companions. He folded his arms and gestured towards the Acid Quirk user as she pulled Izuku's jacket back over her. "We do need to find a way to conceal ourselves, but we have to do so without looking conspicuous."

"Then what're we gonna do?" Uraraka looked around the place, hoping that they hadn't been spotted by anyone who looked Villain-ish. "We can't go around looking around like Ashido was trying to."

"On that note, I have got a suggestion." Yaoyorozu pointed behind her, and shifted her body so that the rest of the group could see what was behind her.

About five minutes, the group found themselves inside a Donki discount store, quickly going over a bunch of cheap, knock-off clothing and materials that they could use to alter their appearances. To divide up their faces and bodies, and change them to look less recognisable. To hide any clear visual mutations or distinctive features, and to add some to throw off anyone who might have been looking for them.

Though this didn't exactly work out too great for Mina. For better or worse, she simply stood out far too much, out of everyone in the entire group. Pink skin, black eyes, horns that jutted out of the top of her skull and wily, messy, untameable pink hair, the only way to even begin to properly disguise her would be to paint her entire body in another colour, and wrap her up in a sleeping bag, which wasn't exactly practical in any sense of the word. Mina simply wasn't going to be able to hide herself well at all – So the next best thing was to more or less go all out. Thankfully, for all her uniqueness, skin Mutation wasn't uncommon, and she certainly wasn't the only girl with pink skin in Japan. The key was just going to be to hide what features she could so the rest of it looked unrelated.

The first thing was her horns – There wasn't any hiding them. This wasn't a specialist store, so they didn't have any outfitting for that sort of thing. Instead, aided by Yaoyorozu, Mina had chosen to incorporate it by grabbing hold of a grey beanie hat, tearing two holes into it for her horns, and throwing over a bracelet over the left horn, the intention being to try to try and look like she was part of the partying scene, and not a Hero-in-training in disguise. Yaoyorozu had gone one about some kind of psychological way the brain worked that made it disinterested in broken up shapes and decorations, but Mina hadn't got the first clue what on earth she was talking about. Going along with this, Mina had grabbed a stomach – cropped shirt, with horizontal cuts along the sleeves. The word 'Cute' was written over the chest, in a lightning-like font. Along with this, a necklace was purchased, with a cheap ring to hang from it. A wristband, and a set of fake glasses which had different coloured lenses, green on the right, and red on the left. They were designed to take attention away from her black sclera. She wore them further down the bridge of her nose, so her vision wasn't muddied and mixed between the two colours. A set of tracksuit bottoms, coloured black, later, and Mina was ready to go.

"Do you think this is gonna work, Yaomomo?" the pink girl couldn't help but question as she took a look down herself as she and the taller girl made their way towards a set of coin lockers, all of their old clothing underneath their arms – Except for Izuku's jacket. Mina had thrown that over everything else she had been given, leaving the zipper open so the new clothes weren't disregarded.

"With the various mutations that you have, it's difficult to say. It's the best chance that we have though." Yaoyorozu stated. "We can't wrap you up in jackets and face-protectors. You'd call attention to yourself. This way, you at least look natural with the crowd. With luck, no Villains will think to look twice… Though it would be smartest if you stayed in the middle of the group, so less people see you."

While the plan was, in no way perfect, Mina knew, they had no choice but to make do, and hope for the best. Ironically, despite being the person that was closest to Izuku, and wanting to help save him in whatever way she could, her mere presence did somewhat hinder their efforts, since hiding her was the most difficult thing to do, and if anyone was going to give them away, it was going to be her, without any question.

Mina nodded. "Got it."

As the pair of them reached the coin lockers, Yaoyorozu watched intensely as Mina punched in the coins and the details that they needed for the machines in, and stored all her clothing into the locker. She copied what the pink girl did, seeming enamoured by the entire process.

"I've never used one of these before." She quickly explained to her friend whilst she carefully placed her neatly folded clothing inside.

"You're kinda rich as all hell, Yaomomo." Mina commented, shutting her own locker and standing upright, waiting for the Creation Quirk user to finish up. "I guess you've never really had a reason to."

Yaoyorozu didn't take much longer before she shut her own locker door and stood back up, stretching her arms as she rose back up onto her feet. Almost predictably, Yaoyorozu had been the most exuberant when it came to fashion choices, ending up with a sparkly dress, a necklace, and a cylindrical purse in which she hid the tracker. A pair of shades and a slightly more rifled hairstyle later, and unless someone knew it was her, they'd need to do a triple check to make sure.

It was a very Yaoyorozu look, of that there absolutely wasn't any doubt… Though in a way, that did slightly irk Mina.

It almost made her feel like the other girl wasn't taking this half seriously.

"Okay, Yaomomo, you need to level with me here." The pink girl sighed, shoving her bandaged hands into the hoodies pockets, and leaning against the side of the lockers while looking at the taller girl. "You could've made all of this with your Creation Quirk for free, right? I know what we spent had gotta be chump change for you, but I thought we were in a rush."

"U – Using our Quirks is against the rules – "

"This entire mission is against the rules!" The pink girl shouted, standing upright and glaring towards her black-haired friend. She made sure her toned down enough so it wouldn't attract any attention to them, but there was distinctly some venom to her voice. "We're here against orders after assaulting a police officer on a mission to save two of our classmates from Villains, and you finally draw the definitive line at making _clothes with your Quirk?!"_

Class 1A's Vice president took a step back, both shock and surprise clear in her hurt expression. The girl who had caused that hurt instantly regretted it.

There were other reasons why Yaoyorozu had suggested visiting the store, Mina knew. If she made clothes for the group, her Quirks fat reserves would be lower in the event that there was an emergency they needed her help in. She didn't know everyone's sizes, and making something like that, accounting for mutations, materials, even just clothing choices that would naturally work for each person. The bottom line was, it probably saved them some time – No doubt she wanted to experience a discount store thanks to her upbringing, but there were valid reasons as to why she'd suggested they went in.

She knew that – Or at least had faith that there were reasons for it.

The girl sighed, and bowed her head immediately after her outburst. "… Sorry, Yaomomo. I didn't mean that… I'm just… I'm really worried about Izuku. I don't want to waste any time looking for him…"

Understanding as she was, Yaoyorozu didn't hold it against her. "It's… It's alright, Ashido. I understand…. But I must ask, are you okay?"

"My boyfriend's missing, I got stabbed through the hand, the person who took part in both got away and is running to tell her group we're on the way, and we just spent fifteen minutes in a discount clothing store." The Acid Quirk user looked towards the ground and let out a long, heavy sigh. "I'll be honest, I've been better."

"That's… That's not quite what I mean."

Mina looked back up at Yaoyorozu, making eye contact with her through her shades. Honestly, Mina was just confused by what her friend was implying, if not just her honestly asking if she was okay. The pair of them held this contact for a few moments, before Mina finally spoke. "What do you mean then?"

"You… I understand that you're worried. And you have every right to be. I completely understand why you might be more prone to lashing out, to yelling, and saying and doing things that you don't mean…" Yaoyorozu shifted her gaze for a moment, uncomfortable with what it was that she was saying, like she'd wanted to bring it up for a while, but hadn't been able to, and was now hesitant to do so. "…There are moments where I don't even recognize you. I… I fear that recent events have started to affect you."

To be completely honest, it was something that Mina had noticed too.

How little she was acting like her normal self. More prone to loud, violent outbursts, giving into her emotions far faster than before, exploding at anyone who even slightly suggested anything that even vaguely sounded like abandoning the mission and leaving Izuku behind. She was in pain, and constant fear for the safety of her boyfriend… But she wasn't clueless. She knew that her actions were affecting those around her.

And she didn't want them to… But she wasn't thinking clearly. What was horrifying was that sometimes, she knew that she wasn't thinking clearly before she even opened her mouth. She knew what she was about to say would hurt someone, and wouldn't help the situation at all… But she couldn't stop herself. It was like she had gone onto automatic, and was saying and yelling in ways she didn't even want to.

Stress and fear were getting to her. That was all it was… All she hoped that it was.

"I just… I wanted to make sure that you were alright." Yaoyorozu finished, trying to show sympathy towards her friend, though she just had no idea how to, given her circumstances. How did someone show sympathy for someone in Mina's situation?

"…I'm sorry I've been prickly lately." Mina apologized again, her voice filled to the brim with honesty. Not for a single second did Yaoyorozu think that she wasn't being serious. "I just… I'm scared for Izuku… About what's... Going to happen to him… And what comes after…"

Rescuing Izuku was one thing. What happened afterwards, when they were finally back together… Mina didn't know. She had no idea what was going to happen once they were finally back in the same room as one another, able to talk, and touch.

Things wouldn't be the same again. They just couldn't be the same again. Not after all of this. They couldn't be. Too much had happened, between them, back at the lodge, and after, with everyone now aware of Izuku's Quirkless nature.

It just couldn't go back to how it was, could it?

"…Momo, do you… Like anyone?" Mina questioned, folding her arms and looking away from the taller girl. She couldn't think of any other way to explain it unless her friend was in the same boat as her in some way or another.

The other girl paused for a moment, not sure where exactly her friend was going with this. "What… What difference does that make?"

"Just… Do you?"

"… I do." The taller girl blushed lightly, before looking away slightly. "No one in our class, if that's what you're asking."

"What would you do in my place?" The Acid Quirk user asked, shoving her hands into her hoodies pockets. "I'm… I'm here to try and fix things, and save Izuku. The guy means the world to me… I need to fix this. If you were in my position, and we were trying to save the person you liked, could you honestly say you'd act any different?" ,

"I understand that, Ashido, I really do, but you –"

Yaoyorozu stopped, and looked at the pink girl, whom was now looking back at her with a confused expression on her face. Why had she stopped talking? Mina's eyebrows raised up simultaneously as Yaoyorozu's eyes widened, seemingly starting to figure everything out.

Why Mina was acting this way.

Why she didn't want to wait.

Why she was so unhinged recently.

Of course she loved Izuku, and wanted to save him because of those reasons…. But there was something else. Something underneath that. Something that only a few people had guessed, but never fully figured out. The only other people to even know of this immeasurable weight being Todoroki and Kirishima, and they hadn't even been able to give her a clear answer.

"…You think this is all your fault." She stated. This wasn't a guess, she knew that this was the case now. Everything made sense. The short temper, the self-depreciation, the eagerness and impatience to go out and rescue Izuku without a second's delay. It all added up to someone who feel completely terrible.

Who felt that everything bad that was happening was completely their own fault. Someone who was desperate, with every single fibre of their being, to fix their mistake.

It was like she was suffering from survivor's guilt, only instead of dying, Izuku had been kidnapped. For all they knew, he could be dead before long, if not already… And not only was she left alone, she only suffered a minor injury, in the grand scheme of things. Mina felt guilty for even just being here, right now, when Izuku was alone, imprisoned, and probably terrified.

She blamed herself. And the guilt was all she was really feeling anymore.

"It is my fault!" Mina finally broke, her shoulders dropping, her head falling, and all the strength that she had left her body. To support her even remaining upright, she collapsed against the coin locker, relying on friction to keep her on her feet. "I screwed everything up!"

"That's not true at all – "

"I'm the one who hurt Izuku! I lost my patience with him at the lodge! I kept berating him for not giving Bakugou what he deserves! I'm the one who – I – I hit him! I slapped him and screamed at him for t-trying to be so damn much like All Might all the time!" Mina's voice trembled, and her damaged hand gripped violently onto the bridge of her nose. "I – I made him run like that because he wanted to get away from me, prove me wrong, show he didn't need someone holding his hand while he did everything! But he can't do everything on his own like that! He… He can't…" That really was the truth, weather Izuku liked it or not. His Quirk simply didn't suit his body yet. He couldn't do everything on his own.

He wasn't like All Might. Not in terms of being able to do everything. He had the spirit, but his flesh couldn't keep up with it… He couldn't do everything…

"We…. We're supposed to be a team. Team Awkward Energy…. That's… He's not…. He's not supposed to do it all on his own… I'm… I'm supposed to be there with him. Helping him… Holding him back when he… Gets too hurt. Stopping him from ever getting hurt in the first place… And I – I couldn't stop it… I…. I keep letting him down…" Her teeth felt like they were going to snap as they gritted together, her jaw felt stiff, and her throat had a massive lump in it that she couldn't dislodge. But she forced herself through. "I…. Izuku is smart… And I'm not. If I – If I hadn't let Izuku down, if I'd actually studied before we left, I wouldn't be in the remedial group! I wouldn't have been trapped in a lodge for most of the attack, and I might have been able to do something to help! And none of this would have happened! Even if I couldn't do that, I should've been there and done – Done something!"

"Ashido, please, calm down." Yaoyorozu's voice was calm and measured. She placed her hands on the shorter girl's shoulders, trying to offer some kind of comfort to her in whatever way that she could, but also trying to grab her attention, to make her focus.

Tears hadn't escaped Mina. Not quite yet. But the sudden outburst and confession of her guilt had left her knees feeling weak, and her hands trembling.

"… Even Kirishima and Todoroki couldn't tell me that it wasn't my fault… No… No matter what way you look at it, I helped this all happen…"

"I can't believe that, Ashido."

Not Yaoyorozu's voice. The new voice had spoken before the Creation Quirk user had even gotten a chance to speak, or do anything in response to Mina's statement.

When both the girls turned, they saw it was Uraraka whom had spoken. She was only three feet away from them, a look of empathy etched everywhere on her face.

"Uraraka?" Yaoyorozu looked towards the Zero Gravity Quirk user over her shoulder, just as surprised to hear her as Mina was. "Where did you come from?"

"I just finished changing." She answered simply, holding up her rucksack that she'd been carrying all day, which now contained all of her old clothing. Her disguise was simple – It involved tying her hair back into a ponytail, so the bangs at the front of her face were pulled back. A dark green jacket, a black baseball cap, and a pair of glasses with the lenses removed were all that were needed to hide Uraraka's identity. "I uh…. Heard just about everything Ashido had to say, after mentioning her and Deku's team…"

Mina forced herself upright onto her feet, and rubbed her eyes with her finger and thumb, trying to dry them off and make them stop stinging. "I'm… I'm going to rescue Izuku. It's my fault he's even here. I just… I need to."

"You know he won't blame you for anything, right, Ashido?"

"That doesn't make it any less my fault!"

"It isn't your fault. How could you have known any of this would happen?"

"I'm should have been better! Better prepared, more – "

"You know that wouldn't have changed anything." Uraraka flatly said. There was a certain coldness to what she had said too. Coldness that barely suited her. There was no anger or venom to her words at all. She wasn't angry.

But she wasn't trying to make Mina feel better, either. She wasn't trying to excuse anything that she'd done. This was just a cold hard fact.

"You know the kind of person that Deku is. You're his girlfriend, Ashido, you know that if there's someone in trouble, he's going to run off to help them. You being there or not… It wouldn't have changed that. If I know Deku as much as I think as do… If everything you said about him being Quirkless, about how Bakugou treated him is all true… Then I can't think of a single reason why he'd hold anything against you. He's never even seemed to be angry towards Bakugou in the entire time I've known him… He wouldn't blame you for anything. He cares about you. Everyone sees that." She tried to offer a sympathetic smile, though it was just as shaky as anyone else's would have been. "You can't blame yourself for everything, Ashido. That's… That's just how he is. You should know that."

The pink girl knew that her friend was right, deep down. She'd been focusing on how the things she could have done differently to prevent this situation. To spare themselves this entire mess. Things that she could have done, should have done, if not to prevent this, to just be a better Hero. While she didn't believe for a second that she was blame free in all of this, she did know, deep down, that she was being too harsh on herself. She didn't want to acknowledge that she was being like that, because compared to what Izuku was going through, her situation had to be like a picnic. She didn't have the right to complain.

Nor the right to cry. Not until Izuku was back.

"I know you're right…. I know… I'm… I'm okay." She took a couple of deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll…. I'll be fine."

Both Uraraka and Yaoyorozu shared an unsure look, but decided to let it drop. Mina was the one that this mission meant the most to. They probably wouldn't be able to convince her to take it easy and to wait for them even if they tried to use force against her.

"I'm okay." Mina repeated, slapping her cheeks with her hands, and getting herself nerved. "Really. I… I'm fine. I just had a moment. Sorry…"

"Okay, Ashido…"

The trio of them made their way back towards the rest of their group, whom were waiting around in the main street just in front of the Donki store. Everyone else had their disguises on, some being slightly more amusing to Mina than others, Todoroki and Iida's being examples of ones that she found to be mildly amusing, Iida looking like he'd just come off a ferry from Western Europe, and Todoroki looking like the stereotypical angsty teenager American media was known for shoving into everything forcefully dressed into a cheap waistcoat by his parents. Tsuyu had done her extremely long hair up in braids, which she had tucked down the back of a light grey sweater, with some English writing on the sleeves, which was probably the name of a brand of sorts. She kept the hood on the sweater up, to try and hide her long hair even more, and kept her large hands shoved into the pockets, so no one would be able to see her Mutations. A dark coloured skirt that would let her utilize her leaping abilities, and no one would guess it was her.

Then, came Kirishima, whom approached the three girls with a look of concern. "You guys alright? We've been waiting a while for you."

"Yeah, we're okay." Uraraka quickly answered, glancing towards Mina before she carried on. There seemed to be a moment of hesitation before she spoke again, almost like she was asking permission with her eyes to say what had happened. Mina showed no signs of anger or disapproval. "Ashido… just needed a moment."

The red-haired boy looked towards Mina for a moment, and then back to Uraraka, before taking a couple of steps towards his friend. "You okay?" Kirishima asked the pink girl, raising one of his eyebrows at her.

"I'll be fine." She assured him, pushing her fake glasses slightly up her nose so they didn't fall onto the floor. "I'm uh... A little bit more concerned about something else right now though."

She then pointed at the top of the Hardening Quirk users head, towards part of his disguise – Two metallic extensions that looked like they were coming right out of his skull.

Like horns.

Mina raised an eyebrow of her own towards her old schoolmate. "Really? Horns? Are…. Are you actually just copying me, dude?"

"What the – " Kirishima's right hand gestured down the street vaguely, towards the multiple people going about their business. A small, strained smile made its way onto his face. "Half the people on this street have horns!"

"I'm still slightly uncomfortable."

"I thought we were Horn Buddies again…"

The Acid Quirk user couldn't help but let out the smallest of chuckles – an actual, honest to God half smile. The first one that she'd had in days.


	52. Long Overdue - Part 3

_"Katsuki Bakugou, Hero in Training – Why don't you join us?"_

Those were the first words that had been spoken by Shigaraki when both Bakugou and Izuku were brought before him. The offer was immediately rejected by Bakugou, but Izuku noticed how his own name had been completely ignored. There was a reason for that. There wasn't any question. And he had a feeling that the answer wasn't going to be good for him.

News reports that criticized Heroes weren't exactly something that was uncommon. In a world that was filled to the brim with Quirks that varied from person to person, and the sheer number and popularity of Heroes that went hand in hand, the news talking about Heroism was pretty much a daily occurrence. The entire world listened when Heroes were the topic of discussion. They were almost universally admired by the masses, and any news on them was taken seriously. The same was true of the world's leading Hero school. Public interest in how Heroes were trained and taught was always something that people wanted to know more about.

Heroes were responsible for keeping the peace. They used their flashy Quirks and gained fame and popularity for the more things that they did. They were the only people who could freely use their Quirks and suffer no consequences for it. Many people owed their lives to the existence of Heroes, whom had saved them from certain doom, in many cases, time and time again. Many had been inspired by Heroes, and yearned to become one. Above all, most people trusted Heroes, willing to put their lives and safety in the hands of strangers they didn't know, because of the vows and dedications that these people behind the masks had. Heroes were at the forefront of society, in nearly all aspects, from advertising, to law and order.

So, when a place like Yuuei screwed up, the media were always the first people on it.

"This marks the fourth time this year that Yuuei students have been confronted by Villains. Some were even injured in this most recent event. What explanation have you given to the understandably concerned families of those in question? And additionally, please tell us in certain terms what measure's you've taken to prevent this sort of thing from happening again."

People wanted to know what had happened during the lodge invasion, and they wanted to know what was going on with Bakugou, whom had been reported to have been released, only to go missing yet again. People wanted to know what on earth was going on there. They wanted to know where Izuku Midoriya was, since he hadn't been seen since the invasion had ended. They wanted to know why Yuuei had suffered a string of screw ups over the past year. They wanted to know why the number one Hero school couldn't protect its own students. They wanted to know why the hell they should continue to put their faith in Heroes when they couldn't even look after their own, never mind those in the public.

They were legitimate concerns. There was no reason to assume that people who couldn't look after themselves could even begin to look after the countless thousands that inhabited any given city.

People tended to be fickle when it came to these kinds of things, though it was based in good reasoning. Nearly everyone in the world possessed a Quirk. That meant there was a near infinite number of ways that someone could snap, and user their powers to commit crime, or attack and harm, or even kill someone. Not all Quirks were capable of killing someone, no, but more than enough were for the public to be concerned about the ones who were supposed to protect them doing a good job.

Truth was, there wasn't really an answer as to why Yuuei had not been having the best year. The circumstances were simply beyond their control. For all the superpowers that their staff may possess, none of them had the ability to be in all places at once, to foresee every single eventuality, to prevent anything like this from happening. It was just the way that things were for those who wanted to be Heroes. They were still in training, sure, but being exposed to danger really was just going to be a part of that training process. Granted, the current year had been exposed to far more danger than what would be considered acceptable by Yuuei standards, but it wasn't like it was their fault.

Not to Izuku, anyway.

"This is all pretty strange, if you ask me… Why're they criticizing the Heroes, huh?!"

After being dragged out of their cold cell, both Izuku and Bakugou had been placed into sturdy chairs next to one another, about three feet separating the pair of them from one another. They had been brought into a much larger room, that looked like a repurposed bar. It was large enough to hold nearly every member of the League of Villains inside it. Toga was still noticeably absent. Since the report mentioned that 'Bakugou' had gone missing again, he could only assume that she was on her way back.

Regardless, the situation, no matter what silver linings Izuku looked desperately for, wasn't looking good for the two of them. They were outnumbered, and tied up.

Bakugou's hands were tied up, encased in a metal casing that kept both of his hands safely within the confines of impact dampeners. It rendered his Quirk totally useless, unable to attack any of the Villains in front of him. His legs were bound, as was his chest, rendering movement on his half completely impossible, and Izuku wasn't faring any better, though his arms had been left free. They posed no threat to anyone there. He couldn't even twitch a finger with them battered and broken like they were. Still, for safety, his chest was strapped against the back of the chair, so he couldn't build up any kind of momentum there. His feet were tied to the chair legs at the heel, so an attack with his feet was completely out of the question.

In short, neither of them were in any position to make an escape attempt. They couldn't utilize their Quirks, or even move any of their limbs. The worst they could do was try to glare their enemies to death – Something that the Explosion Quirk user seemed to be trying to do his best at already.

Both had been made to watch the Yuuei formal apology that had aired that day, regarding the situation. Even to Izuku, he had to confess, the entire event was lackluster and, in a word, pathetically defended by their school. He couldn't disagree more with the reporters all there acting like they were the bad guys for things that were outside of their control, but the arguments that the teachers and staff used simply were some of the weakest ones he'd ever heard in, well, any kind of debate. It honestly made the school look pathetic. There weren't any kinder ways of putting it, and he didn't like thinking like that, but it was the truth. It was lackluster. Weak.

Bizarrely so.

It would only damage the reputation Yuuei had, which had steadily been dropping lower and lower since the year began. Faith in their Hero society would no doubt be shaken by this sort of interview. It made him shudder to think about.

"The only crime any of the Heroes committed was them doing too little, too late!" Shigaraki turned to face the pair of captives with his arms wide open, as if he were laying out cold, hard facts about the state of society in front of the pair of them. "It's a Heroes job to protect people, but everyone can screw up now and then, right?! People can't expect them to be perfect all the time, can they?!" It was almost like he was preaching towards the pair of them. It made Izuku shiver.

He had no clue what Shigaraki was trying to get out of this. What he was trying to say.

"The minute that protecting people came with cash at the end of the day is the moment Heroes stopped being Heroes." Spinner spoke with a cold edge to his voice, bitter about this financial fact of Heroism.

That argument had never been one that Izuku had been able to understand, growing up. He'd seen it a lot in discussion on the internet, and on the news, suggesting that Heroes shouldn't be paid to protect people, since it could easily lead to corruption, and there were several instances of said corruption coming to light. He did agree, it wasn't a perfect system…

"… But then what are Heroes supposed to do to feed themselves?" He openly questioned, capturing the attention of the lizard-like man, whom turned his head to glare towards the young captive. "If Heroes aren't paid for what they do, then they'd starve, and then there'd be no Heroes at all."

Spinner, idealistic to Stain's every word, seemed to force himself to take a sharp inhale before he answered. Izuku knew full well that the only reason that this this guy wasn't chewing at the bit to kill him was because Stain had rescued him from that Nomu back in Hosu. Why exactly Stain had saved him, he didn't know, but Spinner held the actions and words of the Hero Killer above all else, so he had refrained from killing him. For now. "No Hero should have money in their heads when it comes to saving people. That isn't the mark of a true Hero at all. This is what Stain has taught us!"

"If you save someone, you get money. You get fame. Sounds weird to me." Shigaraki stated, drumming his fingers – But not his thumb, which hovered in the air, so as not to destroy his clothing – Against his knee as he spoke. The hand the covered his face hid all his facial details, eyes, mouth, and entire face. There was no way to tell what his expression was underneath that disembodied hand. "In a society where everyone puts the rules above everything… People don't cheer for the losers, and tell them to keep fighting. They blame them for things that aren't even their fault."

Society wasn't perfect. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Izuku didn't even want to deny this. There was a lot wrong with the world. Only an idiot would say that everything in their superpowered society was perfect.

But that wasn't the fault of the Heroes. What these Villains were saying… It went against every single belief that the One for All Inheritor held dear. Even if it was dangerous, Izuku couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Of course, someone would get famous for rescuing people! That doesn't have anything to do with being a Hero."

"Shut it, you." Debi glared at Izuku, generating flames within his palm, as a threat to show what would happen to the green haired teenager if he kept running his mouth like he was. The burns all over Dabi's mutilated body seemed to speak for themselves on top of that. They sent shivers down Izuku's spine…

Not that it kept him quiet.

"…What about All Might?" He dared to question, feeling hit teeth grit together as he saw Dabi's flames grow larger and larger. He knew Shigaraki had absolutely no love for the number one Hero, but the majority of the League's newer members were here solely because of the Hero Killer. One part of him hoped that he could use Stain's admiration of All Might to his advantage. The other part was solely based on his own respect for his tutor. "He… He's one of the most famous and richest Heroes out there – And he was the only one that Stain approved of! Doesn't that put a massive hole in your entire philosophy?!"

"And even he had his dirty secrets, didn't he, Midoriya?" Shigaraki's red eyes peered between the finger gaps of the hand on his face, his glare almost feeling paralytic. "The world's greatest Hero, who can't even bring himself to be honest with the people who you brag adore him. Heroes who can get away with lying to the people they're supposed to protect." The Decay Quirk user stood up on his two feet, and pointed, with a long, thin, bony finger, directly towards the One for All inheritor. "What about that is noble to you?"

Shigaraki almost seemed to be jabbing the air whilst he pointed towards Izuku, and Izuku could swear that he felt the prod from five meters away. "He… He wanted to make sure people like you never found out about One for All…"

"To preserve his own legacy as the symbol of peace!" What hurt about that statement was Izuku knew it was correct. At least in part. All Might had explained to him that he wanted his legacy to inspire others, for them to believe that Heroes were naturally born with their great powers, that there was no great secret to being a Hero. Lies to protect this – As well as himself, and his protégé, had been necessary. And it wasn't something Izuku had argued with All Might against. "You've been lying to the people closest to you ever since All Might decided to give you his power. You're in no position to criticize anyone on the merits of Heroism. Not unless you've seen the reality of the situation."

The irony of this coming from a literal Villain wasn't lost on Izuku, but he held his tongue. Antagonizing the Villains further wasn't going to help matters at this point. They weren't going to screw up because of anger anymore.

"Every person here has suffered at the hands of people. Because of Rules. Because of Heroes. Heroes can't be perfect, but even the slightest screw up, and they're dragged through the dirt. That doesn't seem right." The blue haired Villain took a step forward, and slightly tilted his head at an angle. "Does it Bakugou?"

Izuku felt his left eye twitch slightly at his classmate's name being brought up, and turned to look towards him. He'd been unusually quiet, even well behaved, the entire time that Shigaraki had been talking, which made Izuku uncomfortable. No remarks, no yelling, nothing. He'd been glaring, yes, but it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between Bakugou glaring, and him looking at something with passive indifference.

"Our war is based on a few questions. What is a Hero? What is justice? Once people start thinking about these things, then we've won... And we all know that you love to win, Bakugou. So, tell me something..."

The Villain walked over towards the Explosion Quirk user slowly, and stood, looking at the blond in the eye for just a few seconds, like he was trying to hypnotize Bakugou before speaking again, before he turned towards Izuku.

And pointed at him again.

"Do Midoriya's actions and lies define what a Hero is to you?"

This time, Izuku gulped.

Was this turning into what he thought it was? From the moment that Shigaraki had begun to speak, they both knew that he was trying to recruit Bakugou into the league…

The reason Izuku was even still alive… The reason that One for All had left what to do to him up to Shigaraki… Why he'd revealed All Might's Quirk… Why he was here right now…

This wasn't all part of Bakugou's scouting process, was it?!

"Dabi." The hand-themed Villain turned his head towards the flame-using Villain, and made a vague gesture with his shoulders. "Untie him."

"Huh? He'll run rampant, for sure."

"We're scouting him, It's fine." The Decay Quirk user shrugged off the concern, before looking towards his target. "We've gotta treat him as an equal. Besides, even if he wanted to start a fight, he should be smart enough to know he's got no prayer of winning against all of us."

Bakugou made no verbal response. Instead, he just seemed to scowl at the idea that there was a fight here he couldn't win.

"Either way… He's going to need his hands for what we have planned."

Izuku gulped. No way…

"Twice." Dabi deactivated his flame powers, and shook off the more persistent residual flames from his hand. He then pointed towards the Explosion Quirk user. "You do it."

With a thumbs-up and a weirdly enthusiastic voice, Twice responded loudly and quickly. "No way!"

He then proceeded to untie Bakugou anyway. Izuku wasn't sure what freaked him out more when it came to Twice. His schizophrenic tendencies, or the enthusiastic way he carried out his orders while at the same time denying them.

It didn't take long for Bakugou to be freed from his chair. Once his metallic casing was taken from his hands, and the straps around his wrists and arms had been unfastened, he did a couple of hand exercises, opening and closing his palms, and moving his hands around in a spiral on the spot, trying to get some feeling back into them. As an added measure, he generated a couple of sparks with his Quirk, to try to get the blood flowing back to them. It did the trick.

Standing up, he didn't attack. Instead, he just made eye contact with the pale Villain. Like he was awaiting instruction on what was supposed to come next.

Underneath the hand that hid his face, Shigaraki's teeth began to show as he grinned. "I had a feeling that we hit the mark on you. Tell me something, Bakugou, what is it you believe a Hero is?"

"Heroes win." was the simple answer that he gave. Izuku could hard even believe what he was watching happen. Bakugou was a harsh and rough individual…. But he wasn't seriously considering the Villains side, was he? "They don't give up. And they win. That's… That's what Heroes do."

"Do you find any Heroic reason for lies and deceit that All Might and Midoriya have been enacting towards you this entire time?""

Bakugou didn't verbally answer. His fists however, did start to shake, and in the corner of his eye, he glared towards the holder of One for All, a scowl rapidly growing all over his face. His red eyes glared right into Izuku's green ones.

All Izuku could see in them was contempt.

"How long do you think they've been laughing at you while you haven't been watching? How long do you think that the Heroes have been judging you, and lying to you?"

It was part of his initiation…

This was what was happening!?

"That – That's – We never did that! One for All had nothing to do with Kacchan!" There was no way that Bakugou was actually falling for something so obvious, was there? There was no way that he was actually serious about going along with this, surely not!

His old friend was many things. Violent, arrogant, bloodthirsty. He had differing ideas about what made a true Hero than what Izuku did, and they clashed frequently. Bakugou had his many problems with Izuku, and while Izuku did respect him, he wasn't just full of kind words towards his tormentor. In fact, he could probably fill up a book of mostly swearing when it came to the many things he could say about Bakugou…

But at no point had it ever even occurred to him that Bakugou could become a Villain. The idea had simply never crossed his mind at all.

Yet he was…

There was no way, right?

"As I told you, we are interested in getting you to join us… And we were lucky enough that one of your old classmates – The one who has been lying and mocking the rest of your class behind your back – Came along with you." Shigaraki's purpose in goading Bakugou was so painfully clear, so singular in nature, that there was no doubt that even Bakugou knew exactly what the Villain was getting at.

He wasn't here to try and be recruited.

They didn't want information from him.

They didn't even plan on using him as a Human shield, or as a bargaining tool against the Heroes.

His was here for a far more sinister reason.

He was here to help Shigaraki initiate Bakugou – By being the target of his former friend's fury. He was here to push Bakugou down that path of Villainy, to the point of no return. He was here because Shigaraki utterly despised him and wanted him dead. There was no question in Izuku's mind that Shigaraki would happily take the opportunity to kill him himself… but the opportunity to present Bakugou with someone he despised, to play against his ego and give him the chance to take revenge…

He was here to Shigaraki could make Bakugou kill him. To push him down the path so he couldn't go back.

All Izuku could feel himself do was grit his teeth so hard it felt like they were going to snap against one another.

Bakugou wasn't a Villain. For everything that he was…

He refused to even accept the possibility that his old friend was a Villain. That he would ever be a Villain. He was many things, but an actual Villain, Izuku couldn't believe. He'd known him simply far too long to think that. Mina was right about Bakugou in many ways – But not when it came to him being more like a Villain than a Hero.

Izuku watched as Bakugou walked towards him, followed by Shigaraki, whom seemed to be smirking intently at what was playing out before him. Bakugou's eyes didn't leave the green-eyed boy's for even a second, following him as he took the few steps needed to be standing right next to him, looking down on him like. Like he had been doing for the last twelve years. Like he thought Izuku had been doing all this time, sneering down on an unsuspecting idiot.

He didn't say a single word though. He just glared at Izuku, completely silently. His hands seemed to twitch while he looked at the shorter boy, if they were intentional or not, it was impossible to tell either way. The scowl that was never removed from his face was more prominent, clearer, and vicious that Izuku remembered it being in a while. Malicious intent was written all over the blond's face.

He wasn't serious, was he?

"We all know you love to win." Shigaraki stated again, slowly, and with that creepy, nasally grate in his voice, that made him sound all the more sinister. "So, consider this as a gift from us to you. Something to welcome you with."

Bakugou stood opposite Izuku, his palm held at chest height, and setting off a series of smaller detonations within his palm, a side-effect he had when he was charging up for a much larger, more powerful explosion.

"We'll give you your victory."

The Explosion Quirk users scowl evolved, spreading over his lips into his trademarked bloodthirsty smirk. His chin tucked into his chest and his sharp eyes gleamed.

While Izuku's eyes only widened. Was this…

Was this actually going to be how it all ended?

"Time for you to eat shit, Deku!" Bakugou flung his hand behind his torso, winding his arm up for his traditional right hook strike, crackling still with sparks as he powered up his attack.

He took one step forward, and lunged.

And flung his right arm back, unleashing an enormous explosion behind him, directly against Shigaraki.

 _"DIE!"_

The impact was large, loud, and near deafening to anyone who had been close to it. All that Bakugou had was charged into that one well-timed, well aimed explosion. If it had been more contained and focus, he might well have killed the Decay Quirk user.

"Shigaraki…!"

"What the – "

With the amount of force Bakugou had out into his explosion, the hand-themed Villain was blasted away from both him and Izuku by a few feet. In no small part to how much he'd charged up his one large blast, smoke and smolder set up a smokescreen with the debris of the attack, which blocked any of the Villains from being able to see either of the Yuuei students through the murk. Izuku could hear the sounds of confusion from the criminals, though he couldn't see any of their responses visually. That was the downside of a smokescreen. It blinded him and Bakugou just as much as it blinded their opponents.

It wouldn't last for long though. Maybe a few seconds at the absolute most. So, they didn't have any time to waste.

Without warning, Bakugou flung his left hand lower, towards the chair legs that Izuku had his feet tied against. Without a second's hesitation, he unleashed an explosion against each one individually, blasting them straight off the rest of the chair. Control, however, wasn't the strongest point of Explosion, at least when it came to where the exact direction of the blasts. He couldn't manipulate their direction one they had set off.

This lack of control meant that, even though it was genuinely unintentional, Izuku's lower legs had been caught in the explosions.

Pain rapidly followed. "Aaaargh!"

"You can still stand, shut the fuck up!" Bakugou yelled, tearing off the other straps that kept Izuku pinned to the chair. He ripped the one that had been around Izuku's chest off with force, snapping the buckle as he went, and threw it behind him. "On your feet, Deku!"

Standing now wasn't the easiest task in the world for Izuku – Now that he wasn't numb to the bone, he could feel throbs and twinges of pain all over his arms, and with his shins injured by Bakugou's explosions, he wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line perfectly. Just standing up now hurt, and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stay conscious with these injuries multiplied with two to how many knew days lack of sleep. Still, Izuku virtually leaped onto his feet without a second's hesitation, his shattered arms flailing at his sides as he did so. Within the same second, Full Cowl was spiraling throughout his body, preparing himself to fight if that was what it was going to come to.

Which it almost certainly was.

Only about seven seconds had passed once the smokescreen from Bakugou's explosion cleared up, and all they were left with was a group of five Villains staring at them, and one who seemed stood in a daze. The hand Shigaraki had always kept on his face had been blasted clean off, and he seemed completely unable to move from the sheer shock of what had just happened, like the hand was what contained his brain and motor functions.

Heavy breathing followed Izuku as he stood up, it taking all the effort in the world to even be on his feet for any period of time whatsoever. He glanced towards Bakugou, who still wore his wide, tooth-baring grin, even in the face of pure, uncontrollable evil. "F… For a moment there, I honestly thought you were gonna go with them…"

"They can stuff their offer and go straight to fucking hell!" Bakugou yelled, loud enough to make sure that every single Villain in the room heard him yelling. While he probably had just as much fear in him as Izuku did, he wasn't even slightly about to let it stop him. He didn't back down even the smallest bit. "I couldn't fucking stand that a second longer! I thought they were gonna talk us to the fucking grave. Yak, yak, yak, and not getting to the fucking point! 'We're trying to cause shit! Come join us! Blow this twerp's fucking brains in and help us harass Heroes!'"

The aggressive blond threw his arms open, like he was tossing aside every single word the league had said to him.

"What a fucking joke! You think that – " He jabbed towards Izuku's chair with disgust – "Would count as any sort of fucking win?! You dumb fucks are more stupid than you look! Now listen the fuck up –" He jabbed his own chest with his thumb - "I've always looked up to the way All Might looks when he wins! And not one of you fucked up fucks is gonna change a damn thing about that! You got me?!"

"K-Kacchan!..." Frankly, Izuku had never seen that sheer level of defiance, that amount of dedication, or that amount of sheer respect from Bakugou about practically anything whatsoever. For all the issues that existed between him and the Explosion Quirk user, the sudden display of sheer defiance was something he couldn't help but admire.

It made him feel kind of bad for even doubting him for even the slightest second. Once Bakugou set his mind to something, he wouldn't be deterred. And that was that.

Feeling bad would come later though. Right now, the only focus was on escape.

 _"We aren't approaching this situation passively."_ The noise from came from the television screen, still blasting out the same news report over aloud. The voice belonged to Nedzu, responding to whatever questions the journalists were asking the Yuuei board. _"We're currently working alongside the police, and working with them in their investigation. We will retrieve our lost students, make absolutely no mistake."_

"Hah!" Bakugou let out a single loud, almost gloating laugh. Izuku had no idea if he'd actually been listening to the report as everything else had been going on. For all the noise and yelling that had been going on over the last few seconds, Izuku hadn't heard a word of it, but his classmates grin only seemed bigger and wider now. "Good ol' Yuuei…! You better be ready for a fight here, Deku!"

Izuku managed to nod, though his voice was wobbling all over the place. "I'm not going to get much readier than I already am…"

That seemed to be good enough for Bakugou. "Just so you fuckheads know, my permission to battle hasn't been revoked!" The implication there was that this applied to both him and to Izuku, and he wasn't technically wrong either. In their current situation, they would probably be allowed to just use their Quirks anyway, and suffer very little in the way of punishment from the law.

Bakugou was their main target. He wasn't going to be targeted with the serious intent to kill. The entire attack had been there to capture him. Izuku was only here due to his own impulsiveness, so that didn't necessarily apply to him. He was still going to be an open target.

"If this is your attitude, why not just pretend that we'd won you over?" Compress seemed utterly confused by Bakugou's actions. "You hadn't needed to kill your friend if you hadn't wanted to, but could have still acted like we'd convinced you. No one was forcing you to execute him."

"Oh, you can fuck _right_ _off_ , Magic McFuckhead!" Roared the explosive teenager at the Compression Quirk user. "It already pisses me off that I had to play along that long to save this worthless pile of crap! I don't do what I don't want to do, and that includes lying, or spending the foreseeable future with a bunch of dipshit pricks like all of you!"

Still, the fact Bakugou was on his side meant that the Villain couldn't just use their Quirks freely to blast him apart, or they'd risk hitting him. He couldn't tell what was going through the Explosion Quirk users head, but he himself knew that if they wanted to maintain Bakugou as a hostage, they were the ones who had the advantage.

"This kid…"

The Warp Gate Quirk user was the main issue. Izuku still hadn't found a way to counter him. He remembered that Bakugou theorized that he had a physical body inside that metal casing, so maybe a few strikes to that could knock him unconscious?

"Tomura Shigaraki, calm yourself!"

And if that didn't work, with One for All, he could just kick a hole in the wall, and they could run like hell, maybe? The Warping would be a massive issue with that plan, but it wasn't like they had many alternatives at that point. All they would need to do was get into the streets, where people could see them. Then the police and Heroes would be able to find them.

If they could just –

"Everyone, just stay back… This kid…" It wasn't until Shigaraki actually spoke up that Izuku realized that he'd hardly been paying much attention to their immediate threat. He'd been relying on Bakugou more on that front while he tried to think up an escape plan. Shigaraki's sinister, morbid way of speaking was what caught his attention again, stopping his brain in its tracks before he could carry on. He watched as the Decay Quirk user slowly bend down, looking at the hand blasted off of his face, and reapplying it in front of his face, before opening his mouth again."…Is an important pawn."

It was the just how calm Shigaraki was that unnerved Izuku. He knew this Villain as someone who was utterly insane, and every time he'd met the guy, he'd grown more and more unstable, acted more and more like the raving lunatic that he really was.

"I wish… That you'd listened, Bakugou… I was hoping that we'd be able to understand one another…"

"Not a fucking chance!"

What could only be described as a kind of low pitched groan left the villains mouth as his arms and shoulders slumped to his sides. "A shame… We just heard about the Heroes investigation… So, I can't waste more time trying to convince you..."

He turned slightly, looking towards the monitor as it began to change channel, to a static blur.

"Master… Lend me your power."

The master… All for One again. Izuku and Bakugou both felt shivers hit them at the mere idea of having to deal with the same intimidating presence again. Some scrambled muttering could be heard from the monitor that neither of them could hear clearly. They needed an escape plan. If they didn't, who even knew what the situation was going to devolve into.

Neither of them could really take All for One in a straight fight, and they knew it perfectly well. They would sure as hell try if that was what it came to, but neither of them were under any delusions that if they had to go toe to toe with him, they would lose, without question.

So, their escape needed to be right now.

Compress sighed behind his leader, readying himself for action. "I have to say, to be honest, I'm actually impressed at how defiant these two are."

"Kurogiri. Compress. Put him back to sleep again." Shigaraki ordered. "Leave All Might's precious protégé awake though…"

His blood red eye, small and focused on the green haired boy, glared through the usual gaps and right at Izuku, shaking as he stared at his target.

"I'm going to kill that one myself."

Izuku could already feel his mind whirring at top speed, trying to think up some way that they could both get out of this situation. There was no way the Warp Quirk user wasn't going to be an issue, no matter how they did this. He could use Bakugou for protection, since the Villains were hell bent on keeping him with them, and that could serve as a buffer until they dealt with Kurogiri, but not only was that not at all Heroic in the slightest, it put Bakugou directly in harm's way, and he didn't want to risk his old friend getting injured like this. They were both in the same boat here.

He just needed to think. To stall. To buy a few seconds so he could -

"Hello? Kamino pizza delivery."

* * *

"You're sure that you're alright, Mina?"

This marked the third time that Tsuyu had asked her that question. Ever since her breakdown in front of Yaoyorozu and Uraraka, Mina had been subjected to this same consistent questioning if she was holding up well. It wasn't like she didn't appreciate the concern from her friends. She really did. She just didn't want to talk about it. If she spoke about it, she was gonna end up having another breakdown, and that wasn't going to be of help to anyone.

And she didn't want to have another breakdown. She was sick of crying as it was. Sick of feeling so pathetic. Of being pathetic.

"I'm fine, Tsuyu, seriously." She sighed, looking towards her shorter friend. "I promise. I'm okay."

The Frog girl let out a croak from the back of her throat. It was the kind of person that she was. She cared for her friends, and it was sweet of her to be concerned about her right now. The fact that she was even here, when this entire mission went against her own core values so drastically, spoke volumes about how much value she placed on her friends. It couldn't be overstated how much Mina appreciated her being here, even if it was to keep them all in check.

But she just wanted to focus on the task that was at hand.

"Tsuyu." Uraraka called out, quickly walking up behind the two girls, and to the side of her green haired friend. "It might be best to leave Ashido to it. I think she got the worst of it off her chest back by the lockers." The brown-haired girl leaned over slightly to get a better look at Mina's face, not wanting to make any statements that weren't true. "That right?"

Mina just nodded. She didn't feel the need to say anything.

"Just… I think she needs some time to herself." The Zero Gravity Quirk user stated gently to the other girl, tugging on her shoulder lightly. She could clearly see the pink girls tension and her concern, and could tell it was taking all her willpower to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

That seemed to be enough to make Tsuyu relent, though she did so reluctantly, her gaze lingering on Mina as she took a few steps away. Mentally, Mina thanked Uraraka for her step in, though it did make her feel like she had been needlessly rude to Tsuyu. "If I need to talk to someone, I'll let you know, promise, Tsuyu."

For a while, they all walked in silence, following Yaoyorozu as she led them down various pathways, leaving the mainstream district, and into the back alleyways. Less busy, and usually filled with shoppers heading home, or total drunkards, several of which the group had already encountered. It made sense for villains to be in a less crowded, less heavily trafficked area. Less people around meant less eyes watching the place at all times. And it was within walking distance of the busier districts, so they had the best of both worlds.

According to Yaoyorozu, the Villains hideout was a run down, gloomy grey building, whose only distinctive feature was a slight overpass, which only hung out about four feet. Surrounding it was a concrete wall, and a gate which made entry into the compound impossible, without breaking or entering the place. While Mina was easily capable of burning through these with her Quirk, the group decided against it without the need for a veto from the three supervising students. They would only end up attracting attention to themselves if somebody saw them, and there was simply no telling where the Villains were. Yaoyorozu explained that the tracking device was on a Nomu, so that didn't tell them where the rest of the actually intelligent Villains were. That made storming the compound a stupid risk not worth taking.

Coupled with the fact this was supposed to be a rescue mission, not a combat mission.

Several minutes of scouting out the building later revealed that there weren't any lights on, and the place felt like it was abandoned, which was obviously the cover for the place. Nothing else really of interest seemed to stand out about the place, and they couldn't enter. The surrounding area was just too crowded, the women of the group getting harassed by drunk men who were too inebriated to think about what they were doing, several times.

The only solution that the group could come up with was to try sneaking around the back, through the alleyways. It was the only way any of them could think to observe the place without being spotted by the general public. And if this ended up failing… They'd just have to come up with something else.

All seven of them shuffled down the alleyway, trying to check around for any signs that the place was safe, or so any kind of opening that would let them know what was going on inside the place.

It ended up being the latter that was true.

"Up there!" Kirishima pointed up, towards a small window that was just above them. It was just that. A small window, but it was far more than they had before the Hardening Quirk user had pointed it out. "We should be able to see through there, right?"

"Yes!" Mina couldn't help but make a small noise of victory. It was a small thing, but it was a good sign of things to come at least. Things were at least going their way.

"Won't seeing inside be a problem?" Uraraka questioned, looking at the rest of her friends. "There are no lights on, and no streetlights are gonna reach this place." Without light, they wouldn't be able to see inside, simple as. And since they didn't have Jirou with them, who would be better for this sort of situation thanks to her ability to eavesdrop with her Earphone Jack Quirk, little could be done if they didn't have the ability to see.

"I could make some night-vision equipment…" Suggested Yaoyorozu, looking to already be backing up to make some space for her Quirk to utilize itself.

"No need." Kirishima quickly protested, reaching into his jacket. He rummaged around for about a second, before he pulled out a large, black hunk of metal and plastic. "I actually got something right here."

A Night-Vision camera, and one of the more expensive models at that. To Mina, it looked like something that she saw Special Forces wearing in old movies while on patrol, or stuff that was used in video games. "What the – How much did that cost?!"

"Doesn't matter." Was the only answer Kirishima gave. "Got it before that Villain posed as Bakugou showed up. Was thinking about how I could help, and I could only get one, but I thought this might come in handy."

Kirishima and Mina were quickly hoisted onto the shoulders of Iida and Todoroki, Mina quietly glad that she'd opted not to go for anything involving a skirt with her disguise at this point. Since she was the one with the most personal stake in the current situation, it just seemed right to the rest of the group that she went up with Kirishima, so she could do a double take and see what was inside herself.

By the time that she got up though, the Hardening Quirk user was already scouring the place out, looking around, trying to see anything inside the place. All Mina could do was hang onto the wall, try to balance herself on Todoroki's shoulders, and not fall down and break her neck.

"What do you see, Kirishima?!" Iida was the first one to ask the question that no doubt was burning in everyone's head.

For a couple of seconds, Kirishima didn't say anything, his eyes adjusting to the camera, and getting focused on what he was seeing inside the window. He seemed to do a quick scan of the room, looking for anything major to point out, but coming up empty. "Uh…. It's pretty dirty in there. There's a huge mess, but nothing else that really…"

A second passed.

"Nothing... " His eyes shot wide open. "Woah!"


	53. Long Overdue - Part 4

To be totally, and perfectly blunt, the last minute or so ended up being nothing but an immense blur for Izuku, with nothing in particular standing out in a very short time frame.

Tire, exhaustion, his brain blanking out to try to focus on the pain that was encroaching his entire body, or his own sheer weakness in the moment, he didn't know why the last ninety seconds of his life seemed to merge into one giant, messy reel in such a way that part of Izuku struggled to even accept that it existed. It felt like half of it had happened before his brain had even caught up with the fact that it was happening.

One second, he had turned his head around in sheer confusion as to the sudden knocking of what was apparently a pizza delivery.

The next – The walls were broken down, the Villains all tied up by wood, Dabi and Kurogiri both unconscious, and the Heroes and armed police were there. To him, it was like they had just shown up out of nowhere, and it took him a couple of moments to realize that this wasn't a hallucination. A rescue force, dispatched to save both him and Bakugou. Pro Heroes. Tip Heroes, Heroes that Izuku recognized. Kamui Woods, Gran Torino, Edgeshot, the only one that he hadn't had some sort of interaction with. Izuku never thought in his entire life he'd be happy to see a group of people armed with assault rifles…. And…

"A… All Might!…" He could already feel tears running down his cheeks. Never, in his entire life, had he been more overjoyed to see a Hero. To see All Might, of all Heroes…He could have sworn that he made a comment on the state Izuku was in, on his bones and how much pain he looked to be in, but it just didn't register with Izuku.

He could have broken down and cried right then and there.

The world's top Hero looked towards both his protégé, and towards Bakugou. That legendary smile that he always wore when he was saving someone, that reassuring, confident grin that made those around him feel at ease… It was the first time Izuku could honestly say, without question, that he understood the full effect of that smile. Why his Hero wore it, in the face of fear and danger himself. This was what it was like to feel assured… To feel safe, minutes after being in such a terrifying situation… "It must have been scary … I apologize for taking so long… But you're both okay now!"

"Sca… Scary?!" Bakugou let out his normal yelling voice again, which he never turned off even for those Heroes who held his admiration in the utmost. "You're joking! I had them right where I wanted them!"

From what little Izuku managed to glimpse, he could have sworn he saw the Explosion Quirk user's eye twitch, and his lip quiver. All Might just gave a big thumbs up in response. It almost made Izuku smile.

But he had his own assurances he needed before he could even think about smiling. "A-All Might! I-.." He grabbed the attention of the Pro Hero, who looked at him, still with that radiating smile. This wasn't the time, and he absolutely knew this, but it had been driving him crazy ever since the forest attack, and he just needed to know, right now. "M… Mina… Is – Is she alright?!"

There was no way to tell just how long he'd been gone, but in that entire time, he'd been worried sick about Mina. Worried about the injury that she'd sustained during the attack. He'd been anxious about where she was, and if she was okay. After all, he had no real way of knowing if the Villains had totally left, or if they'd gone back to try and kill some of the students, or attempt to kidnap some more. He didn't know if she was doing okay emotionally, if she had broken down, or if she was okay. This wasn't the time, he knew that.

Yet he needed to know. He needed to know if she was okay, more than anything right now. He just….

He needed to know.

More than anyone, All Might understood this fact. How Izuku had approached him a long time ago, when he still struggled with his new power, asking for his permission to inform his new girlfriend about the truth behind his Quirk just because he didn't want to lie. He'd seen Izuku talk tirelessly about this girl, and seen him form a Hero Team, or at least try to form a Hero Team, even though they weren't as viable a sustainable income as they once were. He'd seen Izuku do everything in his power to try to help his girlfriend. He could see, more clearly than even some of their classmates, just how much his pupil cared for Mina.

And that made him more than happy to give him the same thumbs up that he gave to Bakugou, and widen his smile just that little bit extra. "You needn't worry about Ashido, my boy. Her injuries have been treated, and she's almost certainly resting at home as we speak. She's safe, and she'll be informed the second you're taken to hospital."

Any strength Izuku had left finally left him. His legs gave out, and he slumped onto his knees, tears now flowing freely from his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to even speak, but the smile that made its way onto his lips said more than words were ever going to. Everything was caught in his throat. He was silently sobbing, not even making a single sound, all out of sheer relief.

Just… All he could even think to do was just thank everything he'd ever known.

For the first time in he didn't know how long, he actually felt some form of bliss. Just kind, sweet bliss that he couldn't even begin to describe. The outside world just blacked out to him for a moment, as he just relished in that glorious news.

Realistically, he should have been more concerned about himself right now, and again, he was very aware of this. His arms were probably infected, and they were going to need to operate on him at this point, even if they had Recovery Girl waiting already. He could already hear a thousand voices calling him a lunatic for being more concerned about Mina than himself in his battered state. The pain that was beginning to spread only seemed to be speeding up now that he'd actually been even just slightly active, but he wasn't even paying it any real attention. Right now, he couldn't bring himself to care. To even consider himself…

Mina was okay… Words would just not even begin to express just how much relief that brought him…

He wanted to see her…

"I hate you..."

When he finally looked back up, he quickly found himself wondering how long he'd been wrapped in his own little world. To him, it only felt like two or three seconds, from the second his knees hit the ground, but that couldn't be the case. People were in different positions, and the mood seemed to have changed. Worst of all, Shigaraki seemed to have lost utterly any sort of composure, and was having some sort of mental breakdown. The world was starting to turn for Izuku again.

In the worse way possible.

"I hate you, _I hate you_ , **_I HATE YOU!"_**

Almost as if to punctuate that very child-like scream at All Might, out of absolutely nowhere whatsoever, at either side of Shigaraki, two transportation portals, no doubt from some kind of Quirk, opened up, opened up, spewing a bizarre, black liquid from seemingly the very thin air. Izuku recognized what was being transported immediately, and it made his very heart freeze.

"Nomu!" The artificial Human weapons manufactured by the League Of Villains themselves.

Shigaraki himself looked just as confused as any of the Pro Heroes did, looking to his sides in sheer bewilderment. More and more of these transportation gates seemed to open up, filling the room with more and more Nomu, like an entire attack squad had just been lifted straight into the thick of battle. While keeping hold of so many hostages, the Heroes could hardly even move around. From the shouting and the yelling between the Pro's, Izuku heard that this couldn't be the work of Kurogiri. He was unconscious. So this was from another Warping type Quirk…

He already knew exactly who was responsible for this.

But how could All For One have known? How had he predicted that this would happen, right down to this very second?!

What the hell was he?! His mere presence terrified Izuku, but this, this ability to somehow predict the future down to this level…! Was he even Human anymore?!

And yet somehow, things got so, so much worse.

"Kaumi Woods! Do _not_ let them go!" With the situation unfolding, All Might was in his Hero mentality, trying to prevent things from somehow getting worse than they already where. He was handing out orders, trying to take control and help minimize the damage. He turned his back for just one split second. That was when it happened.

Lurching forward like he was about to vomit, the same back liquid suddenly erupted from Bakugou's mouth, to his own horror as well as those surrounding him. "Gah! What the hell?! What is this?!"

"Kacchan!" Izuku felt himself try to move his arm to reach out, to grab hold of him, forgetting for the briefest of moments that they were broken beyond all measure. All he found himself able to do was kneel up and watch.

Watch as, despite the best efforts of All Might, of the Pro's around him Bakugou was reduced to little more than a pile of black goo, whisked away someplace else in an instant. The only sign he was ever there, the rotten smelling liquid that splashed onto the ground where he'd been standing.

Not one to let up for a second though, more and more Nomu poured into the area before anyone had even the slightest second to react to the sudden disappearance of Bakugou. This time, the streets, the police force, and the Heroes outside, were under attack, ambushed by an unseen force that they had absolutely no power to stop. Yelling, orders, even a few gunshots for all Izuku knew, just loud sounds of battle in general could be heard past the broken wall, as they were forced to unleash fire on the artificial monsters that now threatened them.

With a wobble, all Izuku could to was try to get onto his feet. Injured or not, a battle was going on right now. He needed to be ready to help, to fight, search for Bakugou, or just get out of the way if need be. Whatever the case was, he couldn't just be sitting here anymore. "I… I gotta…"

"No you don't, kid!"

Before he'd even gotten halfway onto his feet, he felt his shoulder being pushed down on by a sudden hand grasping onto it, forcing him back down to the ground. The quickest glance revealed it to be the hand of Gran Torino, glaring right at his former intern.

"You're staying out of this one!" He ordered like a Drill Sergeant, making it clear this wasn't up for even the slightest debate. Despite knowing him only for a week, the old man knew the young boy far, far too well to know what he was doing. "You're far too injured to be of any – "

"Gaaaakk!"

Next, the Villains fell victim to the same black liquid that Bakugou had done, seeming to vomit up this strange substance, before being totally surrounded by it, and being whisked away to who knew where. Robbed from right under the Villains noses.

Spinner. Compress. Twice. Magne, Dabi, Kurogiri.

Shigaraki. All transported somewhere else without even a word of warning. From having the entire league in chains, they were freed in less than a second by an unforeseeable Quirk.

"Damn it!" All Might could be heard cursing above it all. Kamaui Woods apologizing…

The sudden feeling of sickness...

And then, the kicker.

"U-Uuuu- Gaak!"

That strangle liquid suddenly erupted from Izuku's mouth.

Rotten, stenching, disgusting liquid that made him feel like he actually did want to vomit ejected from inside his own mouth, past his teeth, and outside his body, and then encase his own head, almost like a tidal wave that was coming out of his own body through no will of his own. He could do nothing to resist it in any way.

Whatever was going on, he was being stolen along too.

"A-All Might!" Was all he could think to call out, before he felt himself being teleported elsewhere. The last image he saw before he was taken, his mentor being ganged up on by four separate Nomu.

"Midoriya!"

Then, blackness.

* * *

Mina couldn't move.

None of them could move.

Every instinct that every single one of them had was screaming at them, telling them to run, to get the ever-loving hell away from this place as quickly as they could, and to never, ever look back.

If they had any value on their lives, they would run. They would put as many blocks, miles, cities, and preferably continents between themselves and this place for the rest of their lives.

None of them could move.

None of them could even think to blink.

Her heart was the only sound she could hear, smashing against her ribcage, like it was trying to escape and make a run for it on its own.

Never, in her entire life, had she been this straight up petrified.

Everything had happened so quickly.

No sooner had Kirishima called out the existence of the Nomu in the warehouse, had the Pro Heroes suddenly arrived on the scene. Mt. Lady, Best Jeanist, Tiger, Gang Orca, and about a dozen armed police destroyed the front wall of the building, thanks to Mt. Lady's gigantification Quirk, and apprehended all the artificial Humans. It hadn't even taken them a full sixty seconds to complete their objective, apprehending every single one of them without delay. The force of the gust had been so large, most of the groups disguises, including her glasses and hat – Which had been fastened around her freaking horns – Kirishima's fake horns, Todoroki's wig, and everything even vaguely similar, had been blown clean off.

For a full sixty seconds, Mina felt relaxed. The Pros were here. They had done their job, and there was no need for them to even be here. She'd even go as far as to call her own worry that the Pro's couldn't do anything silly, irrational. Of course the Heroes would act quicker than students. It was their job. And of course they'd bring the best in for the job. People who knew what they were doing, who were trained for this. People who had dedicated themselves to protecting and rescuing people. And with a school like Yuuei being the reason they were here in the first place, of course they'd bring in the best of the best. It almost disappointed her how little faith she'd actually had in the Heroes.

And then, he'd shown up.

And then, an entire block had been eradicated, in an instant.

And then, the horror set in.

Her body froze.

Everyone's did.

For a second, it looked like Best Jeanist, whom had managed to save his comrades from certain death by throwing them aside, was going to carry on the fight. Even in the face of this monster of a man, whom had apparently been inside the building when the wall had been kicked in, who had destroyed a city block, only afterwards calming requesting that they stayed out of his way, he planned to fight back.

Two seconds later though, the same attack, but on a smaller scale, slammed into his stomach. It was impossible to tell if he'd just been killed or not. But it was without question.

If he was alive, it was because this monster had chosen to leave him alive. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Hell, from the angle they were at, maybe just seven meters away from this monster, they were lucky they hadn't been ripped to pieces in his attack.

None of them could move.

Not Todoroki. Not Kirishima. Not Iida. Not Uraraka. Not Tsuyu. Not Yaoyorozu.

Not Mina.

Each of them was gripped with this horrifying fear. Fear that just wouldn't even let them move.

She wanted to be sick. Her and nearly half the group wanted to be sick. The other half wanted to cry. A few of them wanted to do both.

What the hell had they gotten themselves into?

What had they been expecting?

It was taking everything they had to even remember how breathing worked. In and out. In and out.

They couldn't stay here. None of them wanted to stay here.

But –

"Gaaah! What the fuck was that?!"

A sound that could only be described as liquid-like, followed by the foul-mouthed speech of a voice everyone recognized, was the only thing that broke the group out of their state of total paralysis.

It wasn't much. It just made several of them flinch, and make them able to move their heads. But it was something.

Bakugou.

Mina saw Kirishima's eyes widen, and his teeth grit together so hard they looked like they were about to rip one another into a thousand pieces. Iida and Uraraka's heads both moved in response slightly. Todoroki's eyes moved. It was move movement that they had made in the last eternity that had been the previous sixty seconds. The only thing they could do now though, was listen.

"My apologies… Bakugou."

"Huh?!"

More sounds, like the one that had signals Bakugou's arrival came, one after another, eight in total, each coupled with a thud, and a groan from each individual that had been transported.

"Koff… Wha - How'd I even end up here?!"

"Toga?! Where the hell have you been for the last two days?!"

Himiko Toga was here too? They sounded surprised to see her… Had she remade contact with the Villains? If Bakugou was here at all, that suggested not…

The only thing Mina could think was that somehow, this beast knew where that girl was, and brought her along when he called upon the rest of the league. Any kind of Warping Quirk meant that the user needed to know where they wanted things to be and where things were before they could do anything, right?

How he knew where she was… That was another question.

"You've failed again, Tomura."

Shigaraki. He was here too?

"But you cannot lose heart. More opportunities will be presented to you. That is why I have brought along your group. And these boys, because you deemed them to be of value to you, for one reason or the other. So ty again"

Boys?

"That's what I'm here to help you do. It's all… For you."

Finally, another sound.

This one accompanied by cries of pain once the person landed. "Aaaaaargh!... My arms!..."

Mina's eyes shot wide open. She knew exactly whose voice that was. Even mixed in through grunts of pain, she knew exactly who had just been transported here.

"The fuck - Deku?"

It was Izuku.

Her breathing suddenly increased. Drastically. He was here.

He was right here!

She couldn't see him, but she had heard him! He was close! So close! The wall blocked her vision, and she didn't dare poke her head out in case that gave away where the group was, but not seeing this was driving her completely insane. What could she do? "R-Right, m-my Quirk!..." She muttered to herself underneath her breath. In all the fear, she'd actually forgotten that she even had one. Gently as possible, she jabbed her elbow against the wall. Secreting a small amount of Acid at the point of contact, the concrete quickly melted away, leaving just the smallest of holes, which Mina was able to peek through. It took all her strength not to throw up as she moved.

And there he was.

Broken. Battered. Barely even able to get onto his own two feet without Bakugou grabbing him and pulling him upright. How he was even awake anymore was a miraculous feat beyond miracles. His arms were shattered, and he didn't know that she was here. But there he was.

Izuku was right there. Hurt, but alive. It was almost enough to make Mina burst into tears right then and there. "I-I-Its…. I-I-I-It's… It's th-them!" She could only quietly hiss towards everyone else. As the only person with visual confirmation, she just felt the need to inform her comrades of this.

He was right there…

Next to that monster. Next to those villains…

And… They couldn't do a single thing.

From fear, their bodies would barely even move. From law, they were prevented from using their Quirks. From common sense, they knew that running into this mess would be nothing short of suicide.

He was right there! They were right there!...

And they couldn't do a single damn thing!...

This was her fault.

Everything that had happened, everything bad that had happened to Izuku. It was her fault. Her fault that he'd broken his arms. Her fault he'd run off when injured. Her fault that he'd gotten kidnapped. Her actions, her weakness, her inactions… Everything added up to this. She was the one who had caused all of this, no matter which way she thought to look at it. This was her fault. All of it. And it was her responsibility to fix things. To try to, in some way, fix everything that had gone wrong. No matter what.

Her hands balled up into fists. Weak, shaky fists, but fists nonetheless.

She had to do _something_.

But she couldn't even move. Even crouching down just to poke her eye through a hole had been enough to make her nearly puke, never mind charging out there and running to try and grab him.

She was so scared that moving felt like death itself had come calling.

But she couldn't just do nothing.

She had to do something!

But she couldn't!

She had to!

A hand firmly gripped onto her shoulder. When Mina managed to turn her head, she saw it belonged to Uraraka.

The browned eyed girl was just as terrified as she was. Tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes, and her lips were shaking. Her hand, firm a grip as it was, was trembling, and her nails felt like they were digging into the pink girl's skin, like she was trying to dislocate her shoulder by sheer grip strength. Terror was evident, but she'd forced herself to move.

Because she knew her friend was having the same internal struggle she was. Words wouldn't come. So Uraraka did all that she could - She shook her head. _No. don't. If you go out there, you **will** die._

Around her, Mina could see the rest of her group. It was the first time she'd taken a proper moment to actually look at them since they had all found themselves paralyzed, having been more focused on herself, and the sudden arrival of Izuku. She could see Iida grabbing hold of Kirishima and Todoroki both with a hand each, like he was pre-emptively trying to stop them from doing anything rash. Though she looked like she was barely keeping herself from throwing up, Yaoyorozu had grabbed hold of Kirishima's other arm. It wasn't possible to tell whom had grabbed hold of the Hardening Quirk user first, and in the Creation Quirk user's case, it was impossible to tell who it was for the benefit of.

Tsuyu was holding her own, though she looked as horrified as the rest of them. A rare sight for her to lose her composure, but that was to be expected when faced with the sheer ferocious, vehement power that was this Villain. Todoroki and Kirishima both looked mortified, but with the sudden appearance of their friends here, they were willing to act. To at least try to act.

The group was in shambled right now. Everyone wanted to do something now that they knew who was here. They all wanted to step in, do something.

But what could they do without just getting killed?

"Ah. There you are."

For a second, Mina felt her blood freeze. Everything in her entire body felt like it had just been changed into nothing but ice. That Villain – He hadn't noticed them, had he?

There was no way, right?

Blood turned to ice.

There was no way…

The answer came just a second later.

Mina wasn't sure what it was that registered with her first – The loud, sudden sound of colliding fists filled with nothing but raw power, or the shockwave said strikes created, blasting out enormous blasts of immense wind in every single direction. Blasts of wind so powerful that the rescue squad had to duck behind the wall to avoid being thrown away haphazardly by the sudden gale force against them. Debris hurtled towards them all, threatening to smack them square in their faces if they didn't get the hell out of the way.

"You're going to give it all back, All For One!"

"Come to kill me again, All Might?"

Whistling, crashing, cracking and overall just noise of two goliaths clashing against one another threatened to tear apart eardrums. Hearing anything that was said between the suddenly arrived All Might, and the tremendously terrifyingly strong Villain – All For One – was nearly impossible.

Hits and strikes traded place with one another, the sounds of battle that none of them could even dare to look at if they liked keeping their eyes intact. Even a stray speck of dust flying from these two's fight threatened to blind them if they weren't careful. All Might and All For One apparently had no idea that the rescue group was there – something they had to count their blessing about when it came to the Villain in question. This did directly translate though, to All Might not trying to move the fight away from this particular spot, at least not right now. Izuku and Bakugou were there, sure, but he didn't need to worry about them.

After going through hell these last few days, he suspected that they could at least hold their own. And it wasn't like they had much choice anyway.

The league was still there. And they were still acting.

Earth shattering shockwaves blasted in a massive radius around the battlefield as All Might ended up being hurtled through a series of buildings thanks to the build-up of the many, many Quirks that he had accumulated over the years. An intensive multiplication of all the individual powers rolled up into one devastating blow. How many people had he robbed of their Quirks to perform something so insanely powerful? And All Might had already defeated this guy once before?

Izuku couldn't help but question – How in the _living_ _fuck_ had he done that?! Who could stand up to this sheer, cataclysmic power?!

All Might. That was who. That was what he did. That was why he was the number one Hero. And yet, here he was now, getting flung around the place like he was just a stone being thrown about by a child at a lake. The lake in this case being who knew how many buildings.

He could hear Bakugou calling out the Professional Heroes name at he finally stopped flying through concrete and actually came to a stop, and could hear something about such an attack not even coming close to killing All Might. It certainly wasn't. That wasn't what was on his mind right now. The thoughts that were running through his brain were assessing the situation, trying to figure out the best course of action. Getting away seemed like the best one, but how? Which way could they go? He knew that he could run with Full Cowl, but they were surrounded. Worst case scenario, he could use 100% to leap out of here. He'd break his legs, for certain, but at this point he was more than happy to make that sacrifice if that was what it was going to take. But Bakugou didn't have that luxury. Even if he propelled himself away, he wouldn't pick up enough speed. The Villain's might be able to catch up to him.

And if they couldn't, All For One certainly would be able to.

Abandoning him wasn't an option he even briefly considered, but with his arms the way that they were, he couldn't grad him and save him either. He could have Bakugou grab onto him and then leap away, but he knew that Bakugou's pride would never let him do something like that.

"Grab the pawn. Rip the other to shreds for all I care."

Small explosions set off in Bakugou's palms as his combat ready smile came out again. "Bastards…" He quickly assessed the situation that he was in, taking a couple of steps backwards to try and get some distance between him and them.

Bakugou had been right about Izuku beforehand though. His legs were injured. But he could still use them. They weren't even close to the level of sheer mincemeat that his arms were.

His flexibility, his ability to move freely, and even his attacks would be hindered. That was true…

Full Cowl quickly covered him.

…But that didn't mean that he couldn't fight using only his legs.

They Villains came at the two of them in a mad rush, the battle surrounding them making them just as panicked as everyone else was. They weren't going to try to convince Bakugou to come along anymore – They were just going to take him by force. People who were panicking were generally better opponents to be fighting against though. People who were panicking could – and would – make mistakes. Twice was using some sort of measuring tape like a lashing whip, while Spinner seemed to be trying to circle around, to huddle Bakugou into the same spot while he tried to use his Quirk to launch himself away from the grabbing and clawing attempts to get hold of him. Without restriction or any sort of hesitation, he unleashed retaliatory explosions, blasting at any one of the Villains who dared to step too close to him.

At this point, no one cared about Izuku. He was just in the way, and the situation was bad enough without having to worry about one more kid who wasn't essential. Orders to kill him or not, the Villain couldn't bring themselves to care all that much about following that command. It didn't matter. What did matter was grabbing their essential target and getting the hell out of here. Attempts to get past Izuku were vicious, as he skimmed back, trying to keep near the Explosion Quirk user. He could see Magne trying to get around him, and launch a strike towards him with murderous intent, but Izuku quickly managed to scuttle out of the way, before launching a counter-kick into the Villains stomach. It was slow, slower than he would be using his fists. He wasn't used to utilizing his feet like this for combat, but it was a solid kick that gained him some ground away from the Magnetism Quirk using Villain.

"Deku! Right side!"

Bakugou suddenly skidded past Izuku, getting in front of him. A second later, his left arm flung wide, striking Mr. Compress, whom Izuku hadn't even been able to see, and unleashing a powerful detonation. Compress's Quirk required physical contact – Something Izuku's Quirk made him vulnerable to. While it wasn't much safer for him, Bakugou's Explosions gave him some range, so he was able to attack the masked Villain with much less risk of capture. His priority had shifted, and he was now focusing primarily on attacking Compress, and just avoiding the others. He was the biggest danger to Bakugou. Once captured, he would be powerless.

A knife in the back would be easier for him to deal with. Capture was just game over.

Few of the Villains would openly go near Izuku, instead trying to rely on range. His Quirk made him dangerous, even if his arms were busted. Strength Enhancement Quirks were good like that. No matter what the situation, so long as he had limbs, he could be a danger to anyone who tried to get in close. He was a personal issue for Shigaraki. None of the Villains were particularly bothered about scrapping with someone who shared All Might's power for what was a grudge, even for their leader. Still, he was in the way, and they needed him out of the way to get to Bakugou.

Either way though, no matter how well they were able to hold out, the reality of the situation was that they were still looking at a two versus six situation. All Might couldn't help either. He was too busy dealing with All For One.

They had to hold out on their own. Find a way to escape on their own.

Because All Might simply wasn't able to go all out while he was worried about two of his students being caught in the crossfire. And All For One wasn't going to let him interfere.

Several vicious attacks against the Pro Hero served to remind him of that.

Fatigue was rapidly creeping up on Izuku, as was pain. He wasn't in the freezing cold anymore. He wasn't just sitting still, and hardly moving. Now he was in what was comparable warmth, even if it was in the middle of the night. What he was doing right now would be exhausting even if he had managed to get some sort of sleep over the last few days.

His whole body was throbbing in pain. His arms felt like they were on fire. And all the while, he still had to try his best to avoid the Villains.

There was nowhere to go, and he didn't have the strength to punch through the Villains lines and make a run for it.

To put it bluntly, if he didn't get out of this right now, now only was he going to slow Bakugou down, he was going to get both of them killed.

And he couldn't think of any way to get out of this. He had no clue how they were going to get out of this.

How much longer did he have, anyway? Another five minutes of this? The entire world was already beginning to blur into a black colour. He wasn't going to last longer. The more and more he fought, the more and more five minutes was looking to be a generous estimate.

He'd be lucky if he managed another two. He didn't know – "COME ON!"

* * *

Two minutes earlier, Mina had been screaming. Not out of fear, or invigoration, for All Might's victory, or for Izuku and Bakugou to approach them. In fact, she hadn't even been vocally screaming whatsoever. With all the sounds of combat, the yelling and the swearing, the explosions Bakugou was setting off in his palms, and everything else, she wouldn't have been heard anyway.

She was screaming at herself, in her own head, rattling her brain, trying to come up with something.

 _Anything_.

Something that she could do. Something that she could do to rescue Izuku. Something that she could do to try to signal to him that they were there. Something that they could do to just… To just do something!

Mina had been in her fair share of danger in her life. The giant Villain she'd faced in middle school. The USJ. Overgrow. The Sports Lodge. None of it even began to compare to this though. Next to this, everything else seemed like a complete joke. Like it had been a bunch of four year-olds playing around with their new Quirks for the first time. Like Mina had done when her Acid had first manifested in the form of a non-corrosive slime. Next to this – This brawl that, within literal seconds, had torn entire multi-story buildings down – The fights that she'd been in up to this point were laughable. Barely even fights.

It was this kind of battle that was why Quirks were restricted. Why Heroes were the only ones who were legally allowed to use their powers. It was partly why Mina had wanted to be a Hero. To show off a little. But this battle… this was the kind of battle that Heroes were needed for. To stop this. And that's what she was. What she was training to be. A Hero.

And yet she wasn't allowed. Not by Iida. Not by Yaoyorozu. Not by Tsuyu.

Not by the laws themselves. Even in this horrendous hell scape, the world's number one Hero trading blows with what could quite easily be the single most evil man on the face of the Earth, with her boyfriend and a classmate stuck in the middle, fighting for their lives against other Villains… Even in this situation, she wasn't allowed to act. Because she didn't have a license. Because she wasn't a Hero.

And because… what the hell could she do?

Brute force would never work in this kind of situation. They'd never be able to fight their way through this. They needed to come up with a plan, a plan that would actually get them out of this mess. A plan that would let them escape, and let them grab Izuku and Bakugou, without using their Quirks to fight….

How the hell were they ever going to do that?!

Izuku would know.

That was the worst part. Mina knew for a fact, if she were in Izuku's place, and he were in hers, he'd know what to do. He'd come up with a plan that worked. He would somehow be able to do it.

Because he was smart. That was why she was screaming at herself inside her head. Why her hands were grabbing hold of large chunks of her hair and pulling at it so hard she could feel individual threads getting ripped out of her scalp. Why her head was against the wall, pushed so hard against her horns they felt like they were going to snap. Why her fingernails were digging into the palm of her hands so it felt like they were going to pierce the skin. Why her teeth bit down heavily against one another, and why her jaw was so tightly shut that she thought it might just snap.

She wasn't smart. She didn't have that intelligence that made Izuku the Hero that he was. He was resourceful. Inventive. And he knew what he was doing.

Izuku was right there! And she couldn't do anything!...

She stopped. She took a deep breath. And she forced herself to calm down. She was panicking. She was afraid. She wasn't thinking clearly. That needed to stop.

A quick glance towards the rest of the group, each of them just as frustrated and horrified as she was. She wasn't alone in this. She needed to remember that. What did she have to work with?

Acid, Hardening, Engine, Frog-Form, Half-Cold-Half-Hot, Creation, and Zero Gravity. Counting Izuku and Bakugou, that added One For All and Explosion into the mix. She had the most experienced, the smartest, and the best that her class had to offer, right here, all worked up, all desperate to save their friends.

What would Izuku do? How would he put these people together? How would he utilize their powers? Which ones were essential?

How would he attack, without attacking?

* * *

For a moment, for one brief, genuine moment, as he saw three figures that looked like Kirishima, Uraraka and Iida soaring through the sky, Izuku thought he was dead.

It only lasted a split second that he thought like that, but the sheer shock of what was happening had caught him off guard so much, the only logical explanation that his damaged, tired brain was capable of thinking up was that he had dropped dead when he hadn't realized it, and that he was having some kind of relapse within his own brain. For a few seconds, the only thing that he could think to do, or that any of the Villains thought to do, was to just stare. Just watch as whatever the hell was happening right now happened.

The call was to Bakugou, from Kirishima, with a single instruction and an outreached hand, the Hardening Quirk user yelled out at the top of his lungs for his friend to reach out, to grab hold of his hand and be whisked away to safety. Were it anyone else calling out to Bakugou, it probably wouldn't have worked. It was the exact thing that he would have done.

Thought he had no way of knowing that the plan was Mina's.

In honesty, she hadn't even been sure that it would work, and convincing the others to go along with it had been a challenge, but she'd somehow managed to do it. Uraraka and Kirishima were on board from the start, so it was possible that they had some part in convincing Iida to go along based on mutual faith, though he did have some belief in the plan. He had just been hesitant due to it being Mina at the head of it, she guessed, not that she blamed him for being apprehensive. Mina had been there when Izuku had come up with the idea of using Shoji as a flying Trojan horse, as had Uraraka and Tsuyu. Maybe that was where she had come up with the idea, since the two were more or less exactly the same in principle, only they had different objectives to complete.

Kirishima was the first piece of the puzzle, something that he readily volunteered for. His faith in Mina, and his desire to see this mission through both being factors at play in this eagerness. Kirishima would be used as the surface, the person who held everything together. His Quirk didn't need to be active, since he was just going to be flying through the air. Iida would be responsible for keeping their speed up. His Recipro Burst would blast everyone out of the sky when they had actually gotten hold of Bakugou, and get them to safety, away from the Villains, before they could do anything to counter. Uraraka was the next key part. She needed to make Iida and Kirishima both weightless, as well as lowering her own bodyweight as much as possible. If she could get away with making herself weightless, then all the better, but this part was less essential. She would need to make sure her hands remained close together, wrapped around Kirishima's neck, so she could release them all once they needed to fall back to the earth.

Tsuyu had then used her tongue to fling them overhead, once Bakugou had been given a foot or two of space from the enemies. The shock and height would make countering impossible for the Villains, and even if they had someone with range, then it wouldn't matter. Iida's sudden speed boost would get them out of there. Bakugou then have to use his own Quirk to blast himself upwards, to gain the height, and grab onto Kirishima's hand while he held it out. This worked because Kirishima and Bakugou had built one another up as equals since the very first day of Yuuei. They had gotten along for the most part. Being rescued by someone on the same page as Bakugou wouldn't feel like an insult to him.

It was the only way that getting Bakugou out of the line of fire was going to work.

But it certainly wasn't the end of Mina's plan.

She wasn't a strategist, but she had to take a guess – When Kirishima's call came out, and Iida's Recipro Burst rang out, there would be confusion. There would be shock, and most, if not all eyes would be on them. That was half of their purpose in the first place. To get as many of the Villains paying attention to them as possible. Keep eyes away from Izuku.

So Tsuyu could use her tongue to wrap it around Izuku, and pull him towards the group. Todoroki would then use his ice to generate a massive, sturdy wall of ice to protect them as they ran like hell down the way they came, back onto the main streets, and away from this fight. They couldn't leave any indication that there was a phase two to the plan, which was why no one told Izuku where to go, what to do, or even acknowledged him. If they showed a single sign that the green haired boy was going to be scooped up by the rest of the hiding team, a counter would be set up immediately.

Shigaraki had no reason to want to leave Izuku alive. If he thought that he might get away, he would kill him in a second. So Izuku couldn't know anything.

Phase one went off as a complete and total success. Bakugou got the message loud and clear, and must have figured out that there would no doubt be a plan to grab hold of Izuku. He followed the pan exactly as hoped, blasting himself into the air and grabbing hold of Kirishima's hand. Iida's Recipro Burst was then activated, and they were off like a rocket. It wasn't without pursuit though. Magne, Spinner, Twice and Compress all made individual efforts to shoot themselves at the escaping party by utilizing Magne's Magnetism Quirk, but using herself as a shield, Mt. Lady suddenly blocked the incoming attack, activating her Quirk in an effort to buy the escapees some time.

Next, was phase two. The one Mina was hoping, beyond anything, would be the most successful.

Tsuyu shot her tongue out the second that she saw that Kirishima had grabbed hold of Bakugou, headed towards Izuku with speed that couldn't be understated. This was probably one of the riskiest parts of this entire operation, and if they were going to get caught, it was going to be in this moment. Izuku hadn't even turned around or caught even a glimpse of the incoming muscular organ.

It could have worked.

"Oh, no you don't! Hang on!"

"What are you – _Wait!_!"

Before anyone could react, the Magnetism Quirk user had suddenly changed their target – For what reason, no one could tell. Maybe it was because they had seen what was happening, and thought that stopping Izuku from being recaptured by the Heroes would quieten Shigaraki's inevitable tantrum now that Bakugou had escaped. Perhaps they'd acted reflexively, moving to stop this before they even fully knew what they were doing themselves. Or maybe they just thought that this might be an easier fight. Whatever the reason was, Magne had seen.

Magnetism was a Quirk that was able to polarly magnetize people – Women charged north, men charged south, and it worked within a four-and-a-half-meter radius. And the only other person of the same gender that Tsuyu was who was nearby was Toga Himiko.

Whom Magne grabbed, and then used as a repelling force against Tsuyu.

Since Tsuyu's tongue counted as being part of her person, this allowed both girls to be magnetized, so they repelled one another. Shoving Toga towards Tsuyu's extended organ, this had the effect of repelling Tsuyu's tongue far away from Izuku, whom only noticed the attempt to grab him because of Magne's attempt to stop him from being grabbed. The Frog girls tongue was flung away against her control, pushed so hard that it almost felt like it was going to be ripped right out from her mouth. This had the effect of also repelling Toga from Magne's person, and behind them, though she had to skid to a halt. She could have been heard swearing something at her comrade if someone had bothered to listen to her.

"Oww!" Was the only sound that Tsuyu made, along with a croak from the back of her throat that sounded full of pain. She pulled back her tongue quickly into her mouth. Blood could be seen on her lips.

"Tsuyu! Are you okay?!" Yaoyorozu called out.

"I… I think I caught my tongue on my teeth." She weakly croaked again, and covered her mouth with her hands. "I don't think I can carry Midoriya with an injury like this…"

Mina couldn't help herself. Before she could even stop herself, she called out, to little effect, "Izuku!" He didn't hear her.

The red-haired Villain prepared to strike against the green haired student with their fist. It wouldn't take much to knock him out at all. A single strike, and he would be out cold, and then Shigaraki could do to the brat whatever he wanted. That would at least be some kind of silver lining to losing the swearing kid, wouldn't it? And at this angle, like this, the kid wouldn't even be able to react fast enough.

Magne swung. "Lights ou – Urk!"

Everything happened in a flash for Izuku, so quickly that his eyes hadn't even been able to follow that had happened. One second, he could see Magne's incoming fist, and was bracing himself to feel the impact, and then suddenly he was watching the Magnetism Quirk user lurch backwards, their jaw slung aside, and falling backwards onto the ground. In less than a second, his opponent was out cold. He could feel a sudden gust of wind fly past him, but it wasn't anything to do from the fight between All Might and All For One. This was much closer.

A yellow blur bounced around the Villains nearby, and suddenly they were all unconscious too, knocked out cold by single strikes to the jaw. Izuku recognized the fighting style. He recognized the Quirk, but he didn't say anything until the user had finally slowed down for a couple of seconds, solely to address him.

"Gran Torino!..." There wasn't a whole lot of energy in his voice, but he was glad to see the elderly man, jumping around and utilizing his Quirk to knock the Villains out with ease. At this point, he would have been glad to see any Pro. All might needed all the help that he could to see Gran Torino, one of the most capable Heroes he'd ever met… Reassurance wasn't the right word. Gratitude fit better.

"Get outta here, kid! You're gonna get in All Might's way!" The elderly man ordered, taking in another gulp of air, before blasting off to help All Might out again. He was working on rounding up all the Villains scattered around while former student focused on taking on All For One. Another clash sent shockwaves over Izuku's body and ruffled straight through his hair, and he could feet bits of debris and dust sticking in between the individual threads.

The old Hero was right. He needed to get out of here.

But where? Which way should he go? What was the fastest way out of here?

 ** _"RUUUUUUN!"_**

Izuku turned.

And for just a signal second, his entire body froze.

It wasn't anything to do with the pain in his body, or the fatigue.

In the brief moment that Magne had been fighting something away from him, Izuku could have sworn that he saw some sort of pink rope, or something along those lines. He hadn't been able to focus in on it, or even figure out where it was that it had come from. Everything happened so quickly, and with the more immediate threat, both things combined had stopped him from being able to track its location. He hadn't known what to make of it in the slightest. He truly didn't know.

Not until he looked over at the source of the voice. That was when his body froze. Just for a second.

With no other options, no other ideas in her head, no back-up escape plans, no nothing anything else that didn't involve actually getting involved in the fight, Mina had decided that she'd had enough of sneaking around. Of hiding away. Izuku didn't know where they were. He just needed one single guiding word.

So she climbed up onto the wall before anyone could stop her. Her skin and hair contrasted against the grey and near blackness of everything that surrounded her, so she stood out. And at the top of her lungs, she screamed a single word. She yelled for him to run. To get over here. To come towards her. So they could rescue him. So they could get the hell out of here.

It was the sight of Mina that made Izuku freeze.

Just for that one second. Though it felt like an hour to him. The entire world seemed to slow down as Izuku's eyes widened. He already felt his heart going over a couple of beats, and for a moment he wasn't sure if he could quite believe what his eyes were showing him.

To be frank, he had no idea what he was thinking when he saw her. It was like his entire mind froze in it's entirety, like everything that was around him had come to a complete and total standstill. Every other thought, the thought of his pain, of the fight, of his broken bones, of being kidnapped in the first place. His mind just went completely blank. Like there were only two things in the universe in that one second.

Him, and her.

Suddenly, he was snapped straight back into reality a powerful blast of wind hitting him in the back, nearly knocking him over, and the shockwaves going straight through his body. Another clash between All Might and All For One, no question, was the origin of it. And suddenly, he was aware.

While his brain was trying to figure out what, why, and how the hell Mina was even here, his survival instinct had kicked in long before he'd had any chance to even think twice. Without any further hesitation, he put one foot in front of the other. And then another, until he was running towards the girl as quickly as he could. One For All wasn't an option right now. He felt too exhausted to activate it right now. In his state, he was half convinced that if he did activate it, he wouldn't be able to stop until he slammed into a wall.

An exhausted, battered smile made its way onto his face. Has she come to rescue him? That seemed like the only reason that she'd be here…. And it would explain the sudden appearance of Kirishima, Iida and Uraraka. A mission to save the pair of them?

He could almost laugh. It sounded exactly like something he would do.

"You wouldn't dare go all out when your precious students are nearby, would you, All Might?"

The figure of the horrifying man in the suit suddenly dropped down from above, dropping to the ground with what could almost be described as grace, not even a single foot away from Mina's face. The rest of the group was hidden, or at least shielded from the sheer horror that was All For One's intimidating aura by the wall. Mina was the only one who had abandoned that cover to call to Izuku.

It was that call that had grabbed the attention of the Quirk Stealing Villain. An unintended side effect from getting Izuku's attention.

A Villain like All For One, hiding behind students so he could get the upper hand on All Might – That seemed like something that the most evil Villain out there would do. In fact, compared to everything else that this man was responsible for, this was probably one of the least violent and disgusting one of his crimes.

Mina felt herself lean back, and freeze. The worst part was, thanks to the alleyway being so narrow, she couldn't even fall off the wall and into the alley. Her back ended up reaching the other building before gravity could take her down. She put on the braves face she could – A scowl, with her eyebrows buried deep, even though she was horrified by this man's mere presence. The intimidation that he radiated was enough to make her, and everyone else still here, sick.

The Villain didn't actually have any intention to harm any of the students. He would gain nothing from wasting his time attacking them, or stealing their Quirks. It would be nothing but a waste of time, it would do nothing to help in his current battle, and doing so would only serve to distract him from the current battle at hand. They were just convenient tools to keep the Symbol of Peace at bay. They wouldn't dare to attack him. And for a moment, it worked. All Might hesitated. If the students had any sense, they wouldn't be stupid enough to even dare –

 _ **"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"**_

Izuku hadn't even realized that he was in the air when he threw himself towards the single strongest Villain in the world. He hadn't even thought about what he was doing, or what his plan was. He didn't know if he was going to get in the way, if he was making the worst choice of his life, or even if he was making choices of his own volition. He was just on automatic.

Full Cowl felt like it activated on its own, and then the next second, 100% of One For All was swimming straight into Izuku's right leg, and swinging with a roundhouse kick aimed straight at the Villains head. Fear was gone. Intimidation was gone.

None of it mattered. From Izuku's perspective, All For One planned to hurt Mina. Use her as a shield. Steal her Quirk maybe. Whatever. What he was doing didn't matter.

Maybe what he was doing was single handedly the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life – But he couldn't give even the smallest _fuck_. Mina was in danger. He didn't know where she'd come from, or how she'd gotten here, but she was in danger.

He refused to do nothing.

It clearly caught the masked Villain by surprise. For just a moment, his composure dropped as his head rotated reflexively to look towards the rapidly approaching boy. It went against his calculations. And the reason for this simply was because he had been ignorant to Izuku's feelings for Mina. In the list of things that Shigaraki had told him, that fact had been left out, due to its irrelevance. Had it been taken into consideration, All For One would have had a different plan put into place.

His attacker didn't come close to hitting him though.

"Out of the way."

With a single swipe of his right hand, All For One generated the same shockwave – The one he used to send All Might flying through buildings – On Izuku.

Not to the same degree of power that he used on All Might. In fact, the amount of energy used against Izuku wouldn't even be enough to blast a hole in concrete. There was no need to waste more energy than that. Even if the boy was All Might's successor, he didn't have even the slightest grasp of the power in his body. Even if he did, it made no difference anyway. All Might was here. There was simply no point in wasting more energy when he knew he was going to need every single ounce that he could get against his opponent.

Still it was more than enough to stop him dead in his tracks. And send him flying at high speeds. The collision with a wall on the other side of the ruins of what was a building came a second later.

"Izuku!" All Mina had been able to do was watch this go down – Everything had gone too quick for her to even consider doing anything in retaliation. It happened before her eyes even registered it happening.

With a single hand outstretched, as if swatting a fly away, All For One had unwittingly left his guard open for invasion, and it wasn't an opportunity that All Might missed. As quickly as possible with his Quirk, he grabbed hold of the mastermind's wrist, preventing him from moving it into any pose that could threaten anyone. His fist came slamming down, but was then blocked by All For One's free hand grabbing hold of it. The collision was loud, but it restrained All For One. If he was preoccupied with All Might, he wasn't able to harm the students.

Forcing himself to maintain that smile that he was legendary for, All Might turned to look at his students. While his smile was that of the reassuring Hero everyone knew and looked up to, his voice was one that was filled with a certain amount of desperation and anxiety. He hadn't expected these students to be here. And he had to prioritize them. "Quickly, get to safety!"

"Protecting your students, eh, All Might? Are you sure you've got that luxury?"

" _Go_!"

It wasn't a command that needed heeding twice. In part thanks to the destruction caused by All For One when he first appeared and blew away all the Pro's sent to raid the warehouse, following the path of his destruction would lead the students back to a main street. One by one, they all ran like hell over to it. There wasn't anything else that they could do. They had done everything in their power, and had managed to rescue Bakugou. But there wasn't anything that they could do for Izuku.

Not that Mina let that stop her.

Initially, she went along with the rest of the group, quickly running close behind Todoroki, and glancing back over her shoulder to see what almost looked like a wrestling match between the two of them. Neither of them was able to throw any punches, or use their Quirks in any particular way. Neither could move without giving the other ground, which would eventually be used against them. So instead they fought to hold onto the ground that they had. Mina could swear that All Might could have utilized One For All to gain some ground. But he wasn't using it.

Either he was getting weaker, or there was a reason that he wasn't using it to the maximum. It seemed like he was holding back, just making sure that All For One couldn't move or attack.

Wasn't he going to…

About ten meters from the curve off point, Mina suddenly changed direction, making a sharp left and making a mad rush for the area she thought she saw Izuku get blasted off in. She couldn't be certain that he was here, and God knew what state he was going to be in, but she couldn't leave. Not now.

Not after coming this far. Not after everything.

"Ashido, what're you doing?!"

"Get back over here, Ashido!"

She could hear their calls, telling her to return. She didn't listen to a single one of them though. She couldn't.

She was certain of it – All Might was trying to buy her some time.

With The League of Villains gone – Zapped away by some combination of Quirks while she'd been focused on Izuku, All For One was the only threat that was still nearby, and yet he had the power to level an entire city if he wanted to. If the fight carried on while Mina was looking for Izuku, it was quite possible that she'd end up in the crossfire. Crushed by debris, thrown into a pile of shattered building, and who knew what else. Even just behind here, surrounded by what used to be tall, proud constructions, she felt uneasy. Unsafe. Like at any moment, something could fall and send her to an early grave.

She wasn't leaving without Izuku though. Not a chance in Hell. "Izuku?!" She called out, hoping for some indication on where he'd ended up.

Nothing came in response, so she made her way deeper into the graveyard of buildings.

How long would she have? A couple of minutes, tops? Then All Might would have no choice but to go all out. Mina had to be out of here when he was done. As it stood, she and Izuku were both in the way. That was why All Might had decided to hold out for her. So she could get them both out of the line of fire. Even if he wasn't trying to buy her some time, Mina would have come anyway.

Because she wasn't leaving him behind. She had gone through far, far too much to even think about doing that now. She'd moped, cried, moaned and blamed herself for everything that had happened. She'd been pathetic and nothing but a stupid cry-baby the entire time Izuku had been taken from her.

That stopped the second she decided she was sick of it all, and that above everything else, she just wanted Izuku back.

To her, that was worth dying over.

Another scan of the place didn't reveal anything else. All the ruins and destroyed buildings looked the exact same. She could have walked in a circle seven times over and she still wouldn't be able to recognise the area she was in. Nothing stood out. She couldn't see any signs of Izuku anywhere.

Was he buried underneath all of this rubble? She shuddered to think so. What were his chances if he – No, she had to focus. He couldn't have. This entire area had collapsed long before he had been thrown over here. If he was underneath it all, there would be some sort of indication that it had been moved, wouldn't there?

All she could do was press on. She only needed to turn another corner.

There he was.

Slouched against a wall that hadn't been battered and broken down. His head was sloped downwards, towards the ground, while his arms hung pathetically at either side. He was sat down, his back leaning against the wall, while his legs were randomly sprawled in front of him. Luckily, they didn't seem broken.

"Izuku!" Mina ran towards him as fast as her legs would carry him, reaching him in a matter of seconds, and kneeling beside him.

He didn't move at all, for a few seconds. Like he wasn't going to move every again. That was how still he was, and it almost made Mina fear the worst. For a couple of seconds, that very real, terrifying possibility struck her heart.

Not now. Not after all of this. He couldn't be.

There was no way.

"M… Mina?..."

That voice. It sent electricity running through the pink girl's entire body. Oh, how she'd missed it. How she'd missed the genuine Izuku's voice. The tears were already on their way.

Slowly, he rose his head to look up at her face. Until she'd seen his face, she hadn't quite fully understood the true extent of the damage. Of course, he was bound to be in unspeakable pain. His arms had been like this for days, and who even knew what else had happened to him while they'd been apart. The battered marks and bruised cuts all over his body spoke leaps and bounds about the time he'd been having. Some were going to scar. His body was going to be far more battered and broken than it already had been beforehand.

But his face…

Bruises and more cuts covered it, and there were dark bags under his eyes that almost looked like they were hanging off. The white in his eye was mostly pink with some darker red areas at the sides. She got the distinct feeling sleep had been something he'd been lacking, just like her. A busted lip, and a steady streak of blood from it was now rolling down his chin, dripping once it collected at the bottom. Another cut was somewhere along his forehead, and running over his right eye. His left cheek was swollen, and he couldn't even keep his left eye open all the way. In fact, it could barely open at all. Instead, it remained half shut, even when his right eye was able to open far more.

Somehow, he smiled. "Mina… You…. You look pale."

And she could have laughed. She really could have. "Y-You're sitting here looking like you just went sixty rounds with All Might, and you're saying I look pale?" Tears were managing to flow freely now from her, though her smile couldn't be erased. He was okay! They were together again!...

Granted, Izuku was going to need to spend a very long time in a hospital…. But he was here!...

"Are… Are you okay, Mina?... You're crying…"

"You're worried about me?! You…" She choked. How the hell was he this….. Was he even Human? Did he have a single shred of self-preservation? A single iota of selfishness? "Don't – Don't worry about me, you dork." She told him, wiping away her tears. "We – We need to get you out of here."

"Right… Okay…"

The Acid Quirk user positioned herself in front of Izuku, tucking her hands underneath his arms, and bending her legs. Once she straightened them out, she'd be able to pull Izuku onto his feet. He didn't seem to be in any state for walking on his own, so she would pull his arm over and around her neck. The armpit would have to go against her neck – It was the only way this would work without injuring his already battered arm. She could then use her other hand to support him from the front, letting him lean on her when he had to.

Getting away would take a while, but she suspected that she wouldn't be able to carry him. He was heavier than she was, thanks to all that muscle. So, he was going to need to try to help.

She hissed silently, and looked towards her beaten boyfriend, and tried to offer a smile of reassurance. It rang hollow when her next words followed. "I'm uh…. I'm not gonna lie, Izu – This is probably gonna freaking hurt."

He nodded and smiled himself. "You couldn't have lied just a little?"

This did actually make Mina laugh, just the smallest bit. When did he develop a sense of humour like this? Was it just a brave face, or was he slightly delirious? Or both?

Pulling Izuku up was indeed painful for him. There wasn't any denying that. His grunts and bitten-back screams of agony were testament to that enough as it was. Mina initially tried to be as gentle as she could, but it simply wasn't viable. He was too heavy, and some of his clothes were caught on the rocks. After a couple of tries, she just opted to do it as quick as she could, like ripping off a Band-Aid. That option worked, and while Izuku did let out much louder cries of pain, he bit them back.

It hadn't been necessary to. But he did it anyway.

As soon as he was on his feet, and was securely around Mina's neck, the feeling of a shockwave blasted over the pair of them, the sudden just of air that the collision of fists, no doubted caused by All Might and All for One's battle stirring up again, generated, sent Mina and Izuku's hair both into wild frenzies

They needed to go. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I uh…. It hurts to… But I think that I can."


	54. Long Overdue - I Love You - Part 5

Izuku relied mostly on Mina when it came to movement. His vision was so blurry he almost thought that he was blind, and there was just no strength left in his entire body that he was certain that he was going to collapse. He was trying his best to help, he truly was, but the days had taken their toll on him, and it was all now starting to catch up to him. Mina gladly supported him, trying to keep him on hit feet the entire time, and he wads grateful. Had she not been there, he would no doubt have collapsed and slammed his face into the dirt.

Luckily for them, Izuku had been tossed towards an area that was near a main exit onto a main street, which would lead them to the main square and get them to relative safety. It would at the very least, get them away from the fight that was now raging behind them.

Progress was slow. Very slow, but Mina went at Izuku's speed, not pushing him too hard. The streets were empty, thanks to the blast that All For One had unleashed. Any civilian with sense had run to escape the battlefield. There weren't even any police. It seemed more likely that they would be cutting this street off, so no one wondered down there by mistake.

So all they had to do was get to that police barricade. And then they'd reach people who could help. Who could get Izuku to a hospital. Somewhere with the equipment to treat him. The fight between All Might and All For One was devastating, and caused massive destruction in its wake, so that would end up causing a huge number of injuries that hospitals were certainly going to be filled to the brim with. Izuku's injuries had to be more serious than most though, right? Who knew what sorts of effects this whole mess could end up having on his body.

"I…. I can't… You…. Came…"

Several words Izuku said were muttered to the point of incomprehension, but Mina was able to understand his sentence from the short amount that she'd been able to understand. She looked over at him, taking another step down the street.

"Of course I came to help you!" She said, trying to make herself sound calm. Deep down, she was anxious, wanting to get to him to a hospital as quickly as she could. The injuries were awful to look at, and he was in so much obvious pain it hurt to see. "You really think that I'd just leave you for the Villains?"

"You…. You could get kick… Outta Yuuei for this…"

"Worth it." Mina answered without hesitation. "We all knew that there was a chance it could happen…. We all came anyway."

He couldn't help but give a small, open mouthed smile towards the ground, not bringing his head up to look at her. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her. So many things that he owed her. "I… I thought…"

"Don't talk, Izu. You're gonna need to save your strength." Mina told him. "I don't think the police are gonna be too far away at this point, but I don't think I can carry you if you pass out on me…" She could drag him, maybe, but she didn't want to injure the guy any more than he already was. Dragging his already cut and broken body along tarmac seemed like a good way to screw him up even more, so if possible, she wanted to avoid doing that.

"…Sorry …"

"You don't need to apologize. Just… Try to walk the best you can. Lean on me as much as you need to."

Mina wanted to talk. She needed to say things to him… More than anything in her entire life, she felt the need to speak to him right now.

But getting Izuku to safety, getting him treatment, and making sure that he was okay – That was far more important than a single thing that she wanted. In the face of that, her own wants and needs took the back seat.

The pair of them staggered down the street, stopping occasionally so Izuku could take a minute, and for Mina to reaffirm her grip onto him. At one point, she'd managed to slip her phone between her shoulder and her ear, and had responded to two phone calls, one from Todoroki, and another from Uraraka, the latter reporting a total success and that they'd managed to get to a main plaza and were watching the fight on the news, whereas the former was the calling party demanding to know where the hell Mina was, and if she was okay.

Both parties made long, loud sounds of relief when they hear Mina tell them that not only was she okay, she'd managed to get hold of Izuku, and that he was okay too. She'd never heard longer, or louder exhales in her life.

" _Where are you?"_ Uraraka questioned. _"Any idea what street or anything? We can come get you, or bring someone to help!"_

"No idea." The horned girl replied, looking around the area. "Everything's destroyed. I don't see a sign, or even anything that looks like a landmark…" She honestly wasn't even sure how long they'd been walking. It felt like a while. Probably a lot longer than it actually was. "I think that… Hello?... Hello?"

Dead battery. Of course. Mina let out a groan. That was just what they needed.

They kept on walking, for what felt like an hour. Mina constantly looking down the main road, hoping to see the blue and red flashing lights of police cars and barriers. To hear the chatter of orders, and the sounds and yells of panicked civilians watching their Hero fight someone who was trading blow for blow with him. She just needed to hear people. See people. Get hold of people and beg them to help her.

One foot in front of the other. One step after another.

"You're gonna be fine, Izu. You know that, right?" She told the green haired boy, though really, it was more reassurance for herself than it was for him.

"You… You're here… I know I'll be…" His voice trailed off. Was he concussed?

Another step. Another foot. Mina refused to stop moving. Help was nearby… It had to be.

 _"The Villain's stopped moving…. Yes! It's a victory! All Might is Victorious!"_

Her ears suddenly perked up. She could hear the slightly scrapey voice that came from what was either a Television set, or a radio, what it was yet she honestly couldn't tell. A small smile managed to creep onto her face. From the sounds of the broadcast, All Might had been victorious against All For One, against all the odds in the world… He'd managed to come out on top, as the Hero everyone always said he was.

The smallest, and weakest of smiles could be seem on Izuku's lips as he heard the same thing that she was hearing. He couldn't help himself. "You…. Did you hear that?... All Might…"

"Yeah…. I heard, Izu." She smiled at him, just as happy as he was to hear. Of course, she was glad to have heard that All For One had been defeated… But her joy came from another source at this exact moment.

Whenever the origin of that sound was, it meant that there were people there – People who could help.

She couldn't see anyone, and they certainly weren't on this street. The sound was clear, but it wasn't originating from the same immediate area. Other than the news report, blaring out through the air, the place was more or less eerily quiet, like near everyone had been rushed out of this place the second that All For One and All Might clashed. It was like a ghost town. Silent, aside from the echoes of a news report that still reached out here.

And then, the voices came.

"Holy crap, he actually did it…"

"That's the number one Hero for you... Even if he does look degraded now, he's still the best there is - "

 **"Help!"**

Bellowing at the top of her lungs, and praying to God that whoever was out there would hear and actually come to their aid.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long to actually get a reply.

"Holy crap, a Civilian?! – Hello?!"

"I need help!" The pink girl shouted, the desperation in her voice clear to those who could hear her. "I've – I've got someone who has serious injuries here!"

Within less than a minute, Mina was found by the people she'd yelled out to – By chance, there were two of them, both being police officers, who knew exactly who Izuku was. Neither of them hesitated in helping, the later one, whom had red skin and four arms, lifted Izuku like he was a Hero saving a citizen from a fall, in such a way that neither of Izuku's arms were pushed against or uncomfortable in any way. The other officer was female, and displayed no superhuman mutations, though she helped Mina to her feet and offered gentle words of reassurance.

It was over. This whole rescue mission… The horrible fighting… The dreadful fear… It was all over. Mina felt as if she could sleep for a thousand years. And Izuku was no question doing a whole lot worse.

The officers brought both Izuku and Mina to their car, placing them both in the back seat, Izuku laid out over both the seats with a blanket over him, and his head rested on Mina's lap. Mina kept eye contact with him, not looking away from her battered boyfriend for a moment. The driver, the woman, immediately put on the sirens, and drove with furious purpose.

On their dashboard, seemed to be the source of the newscasting that Mina had heard earlier – A built in television screen, which would normally be purposed for accessing the police database. There was no question in the slightest that because of the fight, the officers had used it to tune into the news reporter's coverage.

Izuku looked at the dashboard, only to see All Might point at the camera.

"You're. Next."

And then, he blacked out.

* * *

Injuries like Izuku's were the worst kind that Recovery Girl dealt with. Received by stupid, reckless, testosterone driven men who didn't know when it was time to just stop and preserve themselves, to put some value on their own wellbeing, and to stop shattering themselves to pieces. She saw it too often in her line of work, from Heroes to students. It was always the men, too. Rarely ever was it a female or intermediaries or even people of other identification. It was always the _men_ who seemed to end up like this.

Battered, broken, willingly destroying themselves through their own bodies and their Quirks just to get an edge.

It was always worse when it was kids. People who weren't even legal adults destroying their own bodies over admiration of those they looked up to. People that they wanted to be like. Izuku Midoriya was just another kid in the long line of people she'd known like that.

But he was easily the worst when it came to battering his own body into oblivion. With a Quirk that wasn't even his, he willingly tore himself apart to be like All Might. She understood that this time, it wasn't his fault. That he'd been protecting someone at the time when this happened. That he'd done the best he could in the situation that he'd been in.

Still, the results were the same though. She'd told him that she refused to heal this sort of injury again, and she'd meant it when she said that. She didn't want to watch this poor boy rip his own body into a thousand pieces just to become a Hero. He needed to find a better way to utilize his powers…

A better way than this anyway.

That said… Looking at him when she was first called in to help operate on him…. She couldn't just turn away. She couldn't just leave him like this.

"...I know it's bad. I know it is... But how bad is it? Exactly?"

Recovery Girl hesitated, looking at the pink girl with uncertainty. Information about the status of the patient in question was not information she didn't like disclosing, since it normally resulted in more worry for the recipient. It didn't matter that this girl was her patient's girlfriend, or that she'd been staying in this room almost religiously for two days straight waiting for him to wake up. Professionally, she should have had her sent home days ago.

But it wasn't as simple as that, she knew.

This girl knew about One For All. The entirety of Class 1A did by now, or at least knew that the Quirk wasn't originally Izuku's. Mina Ashido was one of the only ones who knew the full truth, and the true extent of it. She had All Might's trust, and the trust of the current, and now only, holder of this unique Quirk. This girl was in the best position to actually do something about the situation. Maybe even more than All Might was.

She let out a small sigh. "...There's a lot of permanent, internal damage. Torn muscles and tendons, though those will heal in time. A lot of the scars on his abdomen, neck, and his back... They're not going to fade in time. Those are thing he's just going to have to learn to accept."

For two days straight now, she'd been stopping to give him regular treatment. One big dose of recovery wasn't going to heal the boy. In fact, doing it all in one go would probably kill him, so she'd been coming at regular intervals – One dose at midday, and another dose at midnight. Mina had been there every single one of those times. She'd made herself a makeshift bed from chairs and a green and black hoodie that probably didn't belong to her. Every time Recovery Girl had come in, she'd been sat there, holding onto the unconscious boy's hand, sometimes talking to him about whatever hit her mind. She hadn't even gone home or spoken to her family since she took part in that insane rescue operation.

For someone so young, the older woman had never seen someone so dedicated to a loved one. Regardless of if he knew it or not, Izuku was a lucky boy, the Hero thought to herself. She smiled gently, before her face fell again.

"…The biggest issue are his arms... Frankly, I'm amazed we were even able to save them. There are going to be a large number more scars along the forearm primarily, and on the right bicep, he's suffered third degree burns from what you said was a Pyrokinetic Quirk. Those aren't going to heal either. Aside from that, we removed the bone fragments and set the bones themselves back in place, and Recovery seems to be working well. His arms were broken and the cuts and wounds that created were left so open, they could have gone septic. But they didn't. In regard to infection, we've managed to treat what there was with anti-biotics. He's _extraordinarily_ fortunate in that respect... I need to warn you though. If you do indeed care about this boy, you need to take care of him. Now more than ever."

Mina gulped. There was always bad news when it came to hospitals. That was why people ended up here. It was their entire reason for existing. It was why she never liked being in these sorts of places. "Why? What's wrong?..."

"...His ligaments and muscles have suffered extensive permanent damage. Had I been able to operate sooner, I might have been able to do something to reduce the extent of the damage to them. But the effects are permanent now…"

A pause.

"I don't think his arms will be able to sustain another injury like this. If he breaks them again with One For All, I can't even guarantee I'll be able to leave the arm attached to him. And even if we can, he'll lose all use of them though. That goes without saying."

The Acid girl's eyes widened, and she looked towards her unconscious boyfriend, and the bandages that were wrapped around his arms. She shuddered, and felt the shiver run all the way down her spine. "Izu…"

"You've been with him the entire time he's been here…. Has there been any incidents worth mentioning?" the Healing Hero asked. She understood how helpless those close to her patients felt. How much they wanted to do something.

It wouldn't be much, but if she was given any kind of report, it would help lift Mina's burden. If only just a little.

Shaking her head to snap back to attention, Mina looked towards her schools Nurse. "He… He wakes up every so often… Maybe once every four hours? But only for a few minutes at a time, and then he's back to sleep… I don't think he remembers ever being awake though. Every time he wakes up again, he doesn't seem to know where he is."

"Does he say anything while he's awake?"

"He says he has something he needs to tell me…. But that's it. He's mentioned it a couple of times."

Recovery Girl nodded. "That's good. He's suffered a lot of trauma, and I imagine my Quirk isn't helping him stay awake much either. The good news is that he should be completely okay with enough rest, and regular doses of Recovery. I'll have to keep him in a coma-like state for a few more days. That should be long enough for my Quirk to completely work its way around his body."

Mina nodded, and looked back at her boyfriend, running her hand over the cast, and where it ended near his hands.

"We should be able to take the casts off around his hands in a day or so. If that's of any comfort."

"Thank you…"

"We also have some showers up on the next floor if you want to freshen up."

"Thanks… I'll wait until he next wakes up and falls asleep again. I don't wanna risk him being on his own."

The nurse nodded. "Thank you for your help, Ashido. I'm sure he appreciates it too." She gestured towards the sleeping boy. "As I said…He's going to need you, you know. More than ever." She then left the room, leaving Mina alone with her thoughts.

Thoughts of how.

How had they ended up here? How was this the way that things had turned out? How was it that this was how they had turned out?

A lot of the time, Mina had wondered about things like the butterfly effect. One small change, insignificant, inconsequential even, led to drastically different things changing the fate of the world. Everyone thought about it once in a while. Everyone wondered what they could have done differently in their lives to end up where they were today.

She looked at Izuku, listening to his heartbeat monitor beep periodically. Forty-five beats per minute. She looked at all his new scars, his injuries. The casts on his arms. The injuries that he was now going to have to live with for the rest of his life. That he would live with, and be reminded of everything that had happened to him. What happened to him and to Bakugou was going to live on with him until the day that he died.

She thought back to all the time that she and Izuku had spent together. Every moment, every laugh, every kiss and every date, the latter of which, they'd honestly had very few of. She remembered all their moments together, every time that she blushed and laughed when she was with him. Every time he complimented her, and called her cute, and every time she called him a nerd or a dork in retaliation. The feel of his hand wrapped around hers.

She knew what had caused him to end up in this bed, with all these injuries. She knew what had spearheaded his fate.

It was because of her. And it had started the day that she'd spoken to him.

A stupid whim.

That was the truth behind why she'd started to talk to Izuku at all.

An impulse. Something she did without really thinking or understanding. To her, it was just a matter of not wanting to be bored on the way to the train station, and Izuku was the first person that she'd spotted across the way. There was no deep reason why she did what she did. Why she called him Midori. Why she put her number in his phone. Why she'd invited him out that same four-day weekend.

She just did. Because that was the kind of person that she was. She liked to talk to new people. Talk to people that she hadn't before. Get to know people. Spend an afternoon with an easily flustered dork and then move on with her life. That was always the plan.

Then she saw his bravery first-hand.

Overgrow, the grass-like Villain, he was only stopped because of him. And then about his past. About how he was treated by his old classmates. How he grew up without a power, and how that had made his life a living hell. About his Quirk. How he was supposedly a later bloomer, only to later learn that the truth was his power had been given to him by All Might. That he suffered from a birth defect. That he was genetically Quirkless.

And there just wasn't any going back to being just classmates after that. She knew more about him than anyone in 1A did. She understood him far more than she thought that she would ever understand a person like Izuku. But she saw how he was. Why he was so kind and caring. Why he was so smart. Sometimes it baffled her just how smart he could be. Just like it baffled her how he could be so forgiving. To Bakugou. To his old classmates. To everyone who wronged him, it sometimes seemed. And she admired that. Respected it.

But then, the Hero Killer incident happened. And for the first time, she was horrified. Afraid for her friend's safety.

That wasn't unusual. What sort of friend didn't care about their friend's safety? That was a completely normal reaction to have… But she learned about it after the fact. When it was too late.

She'd gotten his message, with his location, asking for help. And done nothing.

That guilt was still something she felt to this day.

When she learned what happened, she realized just how close she came to never hearing from him again. Never seeing him again, confined to a fond memory of a boy she used to know. She would have been learning how to climb up walls with her Quirk while Izuku was being stabbed to death. And that shook her.

And for some reason, it hurt.

She could list a thousand reasons as to why she loved him. But couldn't ever point to a moment when she _started_ to love him.

Maybe it was before the Hero Killer. Maybe it was after. Maybe he was just her type. Or maybe the thought of losing him turned into too much to bare. She didn't know. But the thought of losing him… It was way too heavy a burden to bare.

When the next opportunity to spend time together presented itself, she took it.

When she finally worked up the nerve, she confessed to him.

And she thought that would all it would be.

Just fun times forever.

Looking at Izuku now, unconscious, battered and broken, only looking slightly healthier thanks to Recovery Girl, she felt her eyes watering yet again.

"What a joke that was huh, Izu?..." She said, with a forced smile, trying to make a joke of it.

She wasn't prepared for everything to happen like it did. The Villains, the lodge, the kidnapping, the rescue… Everything had been flipped upside down in an instant. She hadn't been ready for that… She wondered if Izuku was.

If he'd been prepared from the start. The kind of life he'd had, and the kind of person he was... It wouldn't have surprised her. He was practical. Level headed. Easily flustered, but earnest and responsible. He was smart, and he could push past his feelings to make the best call. Had he considered that things might end up going this badly someday? Had he prepared himself for if that was the case?

He was better emotionally adjusted than she was, for Gods sake.

He was far better at the whole dating thing than _she_ was…

…

…A stupid whim.

That was how this all started. Not because of some sort of fate. Not destiny. Not because she was inexplicably drawn towards him. They weren't soul mates, and they weren't destined to be together. There was no cosmic hand or God that made this happen. Mina didn't believe in any of those things.

It happened because she was impulsive. Because she'd seen an opportunity to have some fun and taken it.

And then slowly, got dragged deeper and deeper into the world Izuku lived in.

Until she'd finally figured it out.

She had fallen in love. And she couldn't deal with this world.

Not without him in it.

* * *

Five days all blurred together when there wasn't much to do. Every day became indistinguishable from the last, especially when she barely got any sleep. The only times that Mina ever left Izuku's side was for one of three reasons. To go to the bathrooms to freshen up, or because the nurses needed the room to do… Medical things, whatever they were, or to get food. Reason number one was the most common, followed by number three. When the nurses asked for her to leave them be for a while, she would leave the hospital and go on a walk. A short walk, just around the local areas nearby.

People recognized her. It didn't surprise her at all anymore. She probably stood out more than anyone else in all of 1A. Maybe even the entirety of Yuuei. People knew her name and tried to speak to her, and she did her best to respond politely at the least, though she often cut the act and just told people that she was going through a rough time after the lodge. People generally got the message when they saw her new scars, all over her hands.

Not that she'd been left entirely on her own. Izuku's mother had dropped in pretty much every single day to see her son, to check up on him and see if there were any updates. She and Mina talked, though conversations were brief. They honestly didn't have a huge amount to say to one another. There was no malice, just… Uncertainty. Inko had gotten into the habit by day three to always bring something for Mina to eat, since she looked half starved when she first saw her. It was always good. Mina thanked her for it.

She had been in communication with the others throughout the days too, mostly with Uraraka and Kirishima, talking about how the plan had worked for the two of them, and what had happened after they had landed. Although, no-one could come out to visit. In place of visiting, their class had sent a huge card, wishing Izuku to get better, with everyone's signatures on it. Surprisingly, even Bakugou, Aizawa, Nedzu and, admittedly less surprisingly, All Might, had all signed it too.

They sent many messages of apologies for not being able to visit. They were all too busy moving into the new dorms – And suffering the punishment Aizawa had dished out for either going on the rescue mission, or staying quiet about the rescue mission.

The news that Yuuei was turning into a boarding school was news Mina hadn't been expecting, but she'd found herself actually very open to the idea. That idea sounded exciting. Like in Manga and comics. It gave her the chance to get to talk and interact with more of her classmates that she didn't really get to talk to…

And she would be the first to admit it – the idea of living in the same space as Izuku…. Had its appeal.

Though that was dependent on him waking up first.

She let out a long sigh, and looked towards the sky. She'd been out of the hospital for about an hour, just to let the nurses do their jobs. The fresh air was nice, and walks honestly did help her to relax. She wanted to be close to Izuku as much as possible while he recovered, but it did feel good to stretch her legs. How much longer was he going to be out for?... Recovery girl had been stopping off every day as promised, the same times, giving him the same dose.

He looked a thousand times better than he did when he was first administered into the hospital. Lots of minor scratches and cuts had simply just gone, and his arms seemed to be healed, at least to the point that they were back together and in one piece again. Recovery Girl's Quirk was absolutely amazing, Mina had concluded. Who knew how many months it would have taken Izuku to heal otherwise. Instead, in under a weak, his body had more or less totally healed.

Another glance down towards her phone – Both Kirishima and Uraraka had both sent photos of their rooms to her, using Uraraka's phone. She rolled her eyes at Kirishima's room in particular, unimpressed. Uraraka's room was basic, though that did make sense when she remembered that she wasn't from the most well-off family. She'd had to learn to live off the bare essentials. They also sent her a floor plan as well. While there was a difference of two floors between Izuku and Mina on it, they reported that Mineta had volunteered to switch with her if she wanted, so she could be next to her boyfriend. It was a surprisingly kind gesture that she reported that she'd think about – Kind as it was, she didn't feel too good about the idea of leaving Uraraka in a corridor alone with him as her only neighbour.

She'd have to check to see if there were any ulterior motives before making that decision. Still, it was hard not to appreciate the offer.

A look at the time revealed just how long she'd been away from the hospital. Flipping the standby button on the side of the phone, she shovelled it into her pocket and began to make her way back.

Actually getting back didn't take too long. She always stayed nearby, within a fifteen-minute radius of the place at most times. When she started to head back, she had been within the ten-minute distance. She managed to get there in about seven.

Thanks entirely to her eye-catching appearance, the workers there all recognized her the second that she walked in the front door. Some of them had spoken to her and learned why it was that she was staying in the building at all. As she walked in the front door, several of them caught her eye. They all had the biggest smiles on their faces as they watched her make her way back to Izuku's room, though she thought nothing of it. Many of them had mentioned that they found her adoration and dedication to Izuku to be adorable, so she just assumed that's what they were smiling about.

When she actually opened the door though, she saw what their grins were about.

"Oh, hey. There you are."

For a split second, Mina had thought that Izuku had woken up and was in one of his half lucid states. Those only ever lasted a few moments though, and his voice was always shaky and out of it. He sounded like he was high on some sort of drug, and he wasn't able to move much.

As it was right now though, he was sat up, and had previously been looking out the window before she had opened the door. Once it had opened, he'd turned to face her, that wide, adorable, innocent smile etched all over his lips. His eyes had their colour back, that wonderful green shade. His face was still scattered with plasters and patches, but he was awake, and he was okay.

And he was smiling.

She didn't even hesitate. Within a second, she was already over at his side, pulling him into the single tightest hug that she'd ever given anyone in her entire life. The tears were already running down her cheeks, and she didn't even care if he saw. "I-Izuku!"

He let out a small laugh, and hugged her back, though he did make a small grunting noise. "Haha… Ow… Mina, my bones were - I'm – I'm still in pain here."

"S-sorry, sorry." She let go of him, though she didn't move away from him in the slightest. She grabbed hold of his hands, interlocking their fingers. A few deep breaths were needed for her to regain her composure. Her lips were curling themselves up into a smile, despite the tears running from her black eyes. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know you'd woken up!"

"Not your fault." The green haired boy smiled back at her. "The nurses said that I woke up literally five minutes after you'd left the building. No way to get back in contact with you. I… I think it might have been for the best." He chuckled lightly to himself. "You might have knocked me right back out."

The girl couldn't help but let out a laugh – The first real, genuine laugh, not a chuckle, but laugh, in a full week. She was so giddy that right now, pretty much anything would have made her laugh.

"H-How're you feeling?" She asked, looking at the bandages along his arms and face.

Izuku considered for a moment, rolling his eyes up to the roof as he thought, before back to her. "To be honest, considering everything, I'm actually feeling pretty good. I've still got some pain in my bones like I said. Nurses told me about my arms… I got off lucky, apparently. If I'm totally honest…. I don't even remember how bad my arms got… How about you?"

"You – You just got out of a medically Quirk induced coma! Worry about yourself for once!"

"Haha, right, right… Sorry. Habitual, I guess." A small blush swept over his face, though his smile never dropped, and his eyes never left Mina's. "I uh…. How long have I been asleep?"

"It's, uh…. It's been five days."

That was the only point that Izuku's smile dropped for a moment. Five entire days? How bad had his injuries even been?

"Well, you were off and on for a lot of it. You have five minutes of being awake here and there. Recovery Girl's Quirk kept you pretty exhausted though. You've been given pretty regular doses of it."

"Yeah, I remember her just healing my finger once left me needing a nap." He chuckled. That made sense. "Still… Five whole days… What – What's going on? Where's Kacchan? What happened to All Might? Where's everyone else?"

Mina went over everything that Izuku had missed out over the last few days, from Bakugou being reportedly safe and sound by both Kirishima and Uraraka, even if he hadn't been admitted back into Yuuei yet – Apparently the school board wanted to speak to Izuku first before that happened. When Izuku questioned how Bakugou had signed the card if he wasn't at Yuuei, she told him that Kirishima had apparently volunteered to go get his signature. She then told him about All Might, about his fight with All For One ended in a victory for the Heroes, but at the loss of his ability to user what was left of One For All. Izuku was visibly distraught at the news.

"You couldn't've done anything to stop it, Izu… It's… It's just how your Quirk works."

He didn't smile at that. It was true, and Mina wasn't wrong at all… But it didn't make hearing it any easier.

"…It was… One hell of a send-off… By all accounts. The entire country watched it. I…. I heard even the Americans were shocked…. He says he wants to see you as soon as he hears you wake up."

"…"

There was no way that he would have been able to take the news well. His all-time favourite Hero – His own personal Hero – His tutor… The age of All Might had ended. There was no way he wasn't going to feel at least the slightest bit responsible for that. Trying to say it wasn't his fault, no matter how true…

It wasn't what he needed right now.

"… I uh…" She paused. Was this really the best time? "…Izu, I uh…. I need to say something to you. It's…. It's important."

Her boyfriend looked up to her, pushing All Might out of his head. His attention was squarely on his girlfriend right now, without any sort of competition.

Mina felt her heart rise up into her throat. Suddenly, speaking because difficult. Guilt, anxiety, regret all of it made its way into her head. For a moment, she hesitated, and almost felt herself change her mind. But she shook those ideas out of her head immediately. This wasn't about getting away with something.

This was about owning up. And admitting that she had screwed up.

Without further delay, she bowed her head. He fingers gripped onto Izuku's slightly tighter, but she was careful not to dig into his skin. He'd suffered enough as it was. "Izu… I am so, so, so sorry for what happened back at the forest!"

Izuku blinked at her, for a moment, confused.

"H-Huh? What – What're you apologizing for?" He seriously was confused. Given everything that had happened, he had barely even thought about the forest, or even really considered it since encountering All For One for the first time. In all honesty, he'd forgotten most of it.

"I… I – I hit you." The words felt bitter on her lips. And she felt her heart rip itself in two saying them. They hurt to say, but needed to be said. "I hit you… I hit you and I yelled at you. I got angry…. When you refused to let me just… Give Bakugou a piece of my mind. You didn't do anything wrong and… And I lashed out at you… And that was so freaking wrong of me!..."

A hand raised up, trying to get noticed by Mina's sight, to try to get her attention. Izuku held it up to signal to stop. His memory now jogged, he appreciated this apology, he truly did, but he hadn't even been upset by it. She didn't need to apologize – He'd already forgiven her a long time ago. "I-It's fine, really, Mina, I – "

"No, it's not!..." Her voice had unwittingly raised, and she had looked up to face Izuku.

Tears running down her eyes. Izuku's own widened.

"I… You didn't even do anything… You were just… You were being the… T-The Hero that you really are. And I… I was being selfish… Because I thought that you were going to… To leave me on my own..." Honesty was just tormenting out of her. She was forcing herself through lumps in her throat, and through guilt-wracked sobs. How much all of this had been tearing her apart since, how much it had hurt her, how much she regretted doing all of it, it all became crystal clear to Izuku. There wasn't any doubting her sincerity. "I… Lashed out at you for just being the same person you always have been… I was angry…. Because you wouldn't just…. Stop being a Hero, for five seconds, and let me show Bakugou what I thought of him… It… It… It felt like you had chosen him over me. And I just couldn't even wrap my head around that."

"M-Mina…" The worst part was that Izuku could understand it all. He knew where all of this was coming from. Where it had all originated from.

Everything that she felt, everything that she had done… It all came from someone who couldn't say for sure if the person they loved actually returned their feelings.

Izuku knew that that had been a fundamental difference between him and Mina, and who they were as individuals. Mina was open about these kinds of things. Izuku had been conditioned to keep his mouth shut. To not voice his own feelings too often. Because doing so just always led to more problems than it was worth. It led to mockery. Physical pain. Emotional torment. None of that was Mina's fault…

If she blamed herself for it or not, Izuku honestly didn't know…

She felt weak. She felt powerless… And it was hard not to feel helpless given everything that had happened, and how powerless she'd been to stop him from being taken.

"You were…. Y-You were taken… Right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything! I was…. I was just... I was stuck in a lodge, while you were running around, and fighting for you life… To save people… To protect people… And all I did was think about how it had affected me… When I came to find you, I wasn't thinking about saving Bakugou. I wasn't thinking about helping anyone else… And even then, I couldn't do anything to help you… We… We're supposed to be a team… But I… I let you down… I…"

All the pain, remorse, all of it that she'd been carrying in her chest, it all tumbled out. Mina was always the kind of person who liked to be honest, to be totally open about how she felt. She never tried to hide anything when it came to her emotions. And it all came falling out. The words were short, and they were simple, but every single of them came from the bottom of her heart.

"You never… I'm sorry…. I am so, so sorry… I'm so, so - "

"I love you."

Everything stopped. Went quiet. Mina's sobs and even the dripping of her tears ceased immediately, hanging in her eyes and refusing to leave.

Her heart stopped for a moment, and her breathing hitched and then ceased. A small gasp had escaped when she heard him speaking, but it was quiet, reflexive.

And she looked back towards him.

Izuku's eyes were now focused on the bedsheet, in the gap that was just between them. His hair hid his eyes, so Mina couldn't look into the green orbs directly like she wanted to. His back was slumped, like he'd lost the ability to sit up straight. His hands didn't leave Mina's though. She could feel those gripping on tighter to her, eager not to let them go. Begging almost, for her not to pull away. Like he was terrified of the words he'd just said, and how they would drive her away. Like he was afraid looking at her was going to drive her to run away and to not look back.

He had just said them, right?...

Three simple words. Three simple, short, silly words that somehow had such an impact on a person that Mina sometimes wondered if they were infused with magic with what they did to people. She'd wanted to hear them, from Izuku, for so long… But it had felt unfair to force the matter. That it wasn't right to push him. To make him say something that he wasn't comfortable saying. To try to get him to say something… That he really didn't mean.

It had been the single most crippling source of anxiety in their relationship. Without hearing it… Mina just sometimes wondered if he did care for her. When it came down to it, it was a silly thing to measure the care that someone had. There were a thousand ways to tell. The way they acted around you, the way that they spoke, and how close they wanted to be. Pinning so much value on those three words… It was just dumb, right?...

…When it came from someone as honest as Izuku though?...

"I... I should have said that a while ago, shouldn't I? I could've probably saved us a lot of trouble..." He let out a very small chuckle, thinking back to so many incidents that could have been avoided if he'd just shown her that little bit of reassurance.

That little bit of comfort… That little bit of assurance that he'd been getting constantly… But had never shown her in return.

"Mina... You can't blame yourself for what happened during the attack. There wasn't anything that you could have done... And what happened... It was my own fault. I'm the one who ran off. I'm the one who leapt after Kacchan. I'm… What happened to me was my own fault. The last thing that you should be doing is blaming yourself. You're the one who rescued me. You and everyone else…" He paused briefly, remembering back over their conversation. "I… Haven't said it… But, thank you. For saving me."

His fingers gripped tighter onto hers. He owed this girl his life, there wasn't any doubt about it.

If nothing else, he _owed_ her _this_.

He tilted his head, still not looking up at the pink girl, who was hanging onto every word, with wide eyed intent. He feared if he looked at her now, before he actually told her everything else he needed to, he'd lose his nerve. "I… When I was stuck in that cell... I had a lot of time to think... To think about things... There were a lot of points I seriously thought that I was gonna die... The only person I had to talk to was Kacchan, which uh…" He chuckled again, lightening the heavy mood a bit. "…Was an interesting experience… And the only thing I could think about was how much I'd miss you...

And how much I haven't even said to you... Told you what you… What you mean to me. What you needed to hear. What you… What I really do feel about you. What I truly, truly do mean…"

A deep breath.

"…So here it is."

Both of his hands grabbed hold of hers, with as much strength that he could muster. It hurt him more than it hurt her to do, but he didn't even give it any heed.

He finally looked up at her, and made direct eye contact with her. Every scrap of honest that he had could be seen in his own eyes. Anyone who looked would be able to see the true, heart-gripping honest emotion in them.

Everything he said from this point on, was the total truth, without exception, and unconditional.

"…Mina, I love you." He felt his heart slam against his chest. He ignored it. "I love you so much it hurts me to even think about it. I adore you. I adore you with everything I have. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life... And I mean that. Better than meeting All Might... Better than getting into Yuuei..."

He could feel tears of his own starting to well up.

"Better than having a Quirk... Because... I'd rather be give it up and be Quirkless for the rest of my life... Than spend a single day without you."

Mina's eyes just grew larger and larger, with every single passing word.

"…I've never said this to you before because… I was afraid that would make you… Lose interest in me. It was stupid, and it wasn't fair… I'm sorry, Mina. I'm so – "

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was tackled again, into the new biggest hug he'd ever received. Mina's cheeks were already wet with tears, and he could both feel and hear her sobbing into his shoulder, louder and more openly than he'd ever heard anyone cry, and that included himself and his own mother. Only these were of joy. Nothing but joy. Her grip was tight, digging into his skin as the grabbed and clung onto his lower back with one hand, and the back of his shoulder with the other. On top of that, she'd more or less thrown herself on top of him, like all the strength that was in her body had just left and she needed to hold onto him for support.

It hurt, more than anything. With his injuries still in place, it was a painful hug… But Izuku smiled. And he hugged her back the best he could.

Everything about this was long overdue… And he wouldn't be able to get that time back. The time that he wasted just not telling this girl that he loved her.

That was how powerful just three small words could be to someone. He'd said them now... And partly wondered what he'd been so afraid of.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered to her, feeling tears run down his own cheeks, though the smile never left his lips.

He'd just have to make it up to her…. Somehow. For now, he just let her cry, as much as she needed to.

"I love you…"

* * *

 **There. We. Go. The fucker is done.**

 **A huge amount of work went into this... and it is draining, so as i said in the announcement chapter, I will be taking a month away from Awkward Energy to regain control of myself, fix up other stories, get some ideas out of my head, do uni work, and just chill the fuck out for a bit. Itsumomo, Kacchako, and a surprise, 'literally nonsensical yet somehow it works' ship will be showing up here, as well as more Minadeku oneshots, and some experimental stuff too. Not to mention First Generation, Five Words and Immortal Hero. I have a lot of ideas. I'm not done with my writing yet. Not by a longshot.**

 **Before I go though, there are a lot of things that need to be said - Number one being that AE isn't going anywhere. This is a hiatus. I'll be back in early March. I have too many ideas to let this story die.**

 **And secondly, I just have to say thank you to each and every person reading this. Getting this far in with AE, ending up as one of the most well known works in the entire MHA fandom, being - To my knowledge - The straight up longest running fic there is, it has been a delight thanks to you guys. I am loving this work, and I will keep it going for as long as I can.**

 **Next up, I just wanted to mention - There's an Izumina week coming up on Tumblr. You can find it at my Tumblr, which is QuirkQuartz, or you can just search "MinaDeku" - The blogs name is literally that. You'll know it the second you see it. Basically, come on down guys, we wanna see what you guys can do. It'a gonna be a TON of fun, and you can bet I'll be doing stuff for it, so come check it out.**

 **I wanna do some shout outs too, because there are a LOT of people I want to thank. First of all, DominoMags, who has become an amazing friend to be. He's been there when I need the guy, offering support and giving advice, and helping me work out dynamics and just been a fun guy to work with. He's the reason Izumina week is happening, and his work deserves some love. Always room for improvement, but he's just as hard a worker as I am guys, I've seen it firsthand. So thank you to him.**

 **CrazyMan185, 12Angrymen, InazumaFrost, TheOneHoyle, RandomUselessInfo, Ritchey, Cort and everyone in our Discord, there's too many of you to name - You guys are often a pain in my goddamn neck, but I freaking adore all of you. You've come to me, said you were inspired by me, had debates with me and given me ideas, and made me just so happy to see other people using the style I use in their work. Even if we don't write the same ships all the time (Write Minadeku you fucks) I have a blast with everyone on there and it's great. I'm happy to have met you all.**

 **Everyone who interacted, made fanart for this story, the person who made the TVTropes page, everything - You all know who you are, and thank you all so much.**

 **People who support me on Pat Reon - I hope this was worth the wait. Rest assured guys, I'll get getting back to work properly now, so fear not!**

 **And everyone just reading this - I mean this, thank you all so very much. It means a lot, and I love doing what I do because you guys make it great. I love the feedback, the kind messages, those of you I talk to about fics, it's all just great. You're all so supportive and it keeps me going. So thanks for joining in. Truly. Thank you.**

 **If you want to help me continue, please consider donating to my Pat Reon, but if not, no sweat. You can follow me on Tumblr - Which i'm pretty active on, and you'll get updates on my thoughts on things there. I'm going to be giving it my all this year. Plus Ultra, and all that. Be prepared for it.**

 **Until then, I will see you all after my break. And it will be glorious. See you then!**


	55. Return

_Mina was running. And she was blind._

 _She wasn't sure how she knew that she was running. She was entirely numb, unable to feel anything, nor could she see anything around her. The entirety of the space that she was in was nothing but blackness and emptiness. Nothing was there, and all she was, well, was her. And she wasn't even sure what she was. She couldn't see or feel her arms, yet she knew that she was moving._

 _The nothing that was around her felt like water. Black, murky water that her own equally black eyes couldn't see through. Yet she could breathe, and at the same time couldn't._

 _She didn't feel anything. No anxiety. No fear. No joy, and no worry. She just simply was there, running throughout absolute nothingness._

 _For how long, she didn't know. It might have been five minutes, or seven hours. Fatigue wasn't a factor, and nor was time._

 _Yet as she moved, she just saw nothingness. So she kept moving, feeling like there was something that she was supposed to find at the end of this nothingness._

 _Nothingness. Just nothingness. There wasn't any other word to describe it. Emptiness implied that there was something on the outside of all of this, and she couldn't be sure that there was. She couldn't even be certain that anything, or herself, existed. None of it all made sense, but she seemed to know where she was all at once._

 _After however long of aimless running, the first thing that she saw made her lips curl. The first thing that actually made her feel something. Some emotion. Some Control suddenly returned to her. She felt her legs stop, and her arms swung and flopped by her side as her eyes began to focus on the only thing that wasn't this empty void._

 _She saw Izuku, standing just a few meters away from her._

 _His face was battered and beaten, his arms shattered beyond all measure. His eye was swollen and barely even able to open, and he had cuts and scratches all over him. Blood ran from his forehead over his face, spilling over his eye and dripping from his chin. He probably had some broken bones around his ribs It was amazing that he was even still alive, never mind standing upright._

 _But it was him._

 _Without words, she ran towards him, her arms reaching out to him, wanting to grab onto him as tightly as she could and not let go of him, ever. Suddenly, she felt tired, and her brain told her that Izuku would make that all go away, that the moment that she got close to him, all of that would fade away into the nothingness that surrounded her. And she listened, without hesitation._

 _One foot in front of the other. Again and again and again._

 _She got closer._

 _And his face suddenly began to melt._

 _Mina wanted to stop running towards him in that moment, sheer horror finally taking place in her heart, but her legs refused to stop. She lost control of them all of a sudden, and once again she was moving without knowing how and against her will. Izuku's eyes began to turn to goop and abandon his eye sockets. His skin and what had previously been his eyes dripping off of his face as his body decayed away into nothingness. What was happening to him? Why was it happening to him? Why wouldn't it stop? How could she stop it? What was happening?_

 _The melted flesh began to fall off of a sudden silhouette that stood within its centre. When Mina got close, it turned its head to face her._

 _A psychotic smile from Toga Himiko._

 _Mina ran face first through the Transformation Quirk users face, and came out the other side, covered in the goop that had been Izuku. Her whole body was covered, and her heart was now pounding like crazy._

 _Suddenly, she was falling._

 _She had experienced it before. That falling sensation before waking up. Only this time, it was far more prolonged, and a thousand times more terrifying. She couldn't scream. No air existed within her lungs. No words would escape her lips, caught by her own clenched throat._

 _How long she fell for, she didn't know. It felt like ten seconds, but it could have been a month. She had no idea what time even meant anymore._

 _The ground finally came into view – And the ground was again, Izuku._

 _Lying face down, his body battered and beaten. Only this time, he was face down, lying in a pool of his own blood. Unmoving. The only part of him that seemed to move was the strands of his hair, moving along with a non-existent wind._

 _All over his back rested stab marks. Deep, blood-soaked stab marks that tore out his innards. A serrated knife, designed to rip his flesh up and apart. Chunks of said bloody flesh scabbed along the edges – All of which formed a word._

 _Fault. All in capital, bloody letters. Below the word, a circle._

 _A finger? It was pointing towards Mina._

 _Her fault._

 _Her fault that this happened to Izuku. Her fault she couldn't do anything about it. Her fault that she let this happen._

 _Her fault. Her fault entirely._

 _As she fell, suddenly, she felt pain all over her hands and arms._

 _More blood, seeping from the wounds she had suffered during the Training lodge. The injury she had suffered from Toga Himiko, the blade through her palm, secreted the most blood of all. The pain throbbed. It was all she could feel._

 _Her fault for being too weak to do anything to stop any of this from happening._

 _From the mutilated corpse that was Izuku, suddenly, his spine began to lurch, to bend, and to grow into a mound that reached towards Mina. His skin reached the breaking point, busting as soon as it came close to her._

 _Once more, Toga Himiko. This time, a knife, lunged right for her eyes._

 _Nothing she could do to stop it from –_

Mina felt her body lurch as she woke up. She found herself suddenly sitting up straight, wide awake like she had never been before. It took her a few moments to figure out that what had happened had been a dream. A disturbing, visual one, but a dream nonetheless. All in her head. A viciously realistic dream, that felt so real her scars throbbed, but a dream.

Her breath was shaky, and she felt sweat run from her forehead down her cheek. She took a moment to calm herself down, to figure out exactly where she was.

A small squeeze of her hand reminded her exactly where she was. And she quickly felt her heartbeat relax.

Izuku was still asleep. He'd fallen asleep a while ago, the effects of his medication still kicking in. Mina had kept hold of his hand the entire time, and hadn't let go even in her own sleep. Her head had been rested on his lap, using it as a pillow. They were still in the hospital room, where Mina had been by his side for what was nearly a full week now.

The Sports Lodge, the kidnapping, All For One, and the fight after… It all quickly returned to Mina. She let out a sigh. She never thought that she'd wake up one day, thankful that this was the reality she'd been given. Her heart rate slowly returned to normal, and she rested her free hand over it, feeling it calm down. Feeling herself calm down as her heart calmed. She took in a deep breath of cold air, and then exhaled it. She was fine. Her hand was still shaking, but it was fine.

Now that Izuku was out of his medically induced coma, things were bound to begin to move quickly. Recovery Girl had come as soon as she had heard that the boy was awake, and gave him an extra-large dose of recovery, which she claimed would help give him a boost on fixing any minor or lasting internal injuries. Along with that, she had given him a small bottle of pills, stuff that was going to help him sleep when he needed it. She also gave one to Mina, saying that night terrors were probably going to be a common occurrence after everything that they had both been through. Trauma was unavoidable, but these would help them on the road to recovery. Or at least on the way to helping them learn to cope with it.

Recovery was an amazing Quirk. Mina had said it before, and she would say it again. Izuku was cleared to be discharged from the hospital as soon as he woke up in the morning. His mother wanted to come to pick him up, to come and see her son. Mina had a feeling that she knew why.

The Yuuei dorm rooms. Technically, neither of their parents had actually given express permission for them to attend Yuuei as a boarding school, so that whole thing was still something that needed to be sorted out, and she somehow had the feeling that Mrs. Midoriya wasn't going to be all for her son heading over to live on Yuuei grounds after everything that happened.

Mina couldn't blame her either. Her son had been kidnapped by Villains. Dangerous Villains. In fact, probably one of the single most dangerous Villains that the country had ever seen. The entire world was talking about it, and All Might's subsequent retirement. America had been in uproar, as had the British and Europeans. Japan was at the center of the world right now, especially in terms of Hero critique. Especially those who worked at Yuuei. No matter how hard the Heroes had worked, the fact remained that his capture would fall on Yuuei's hands, even if it wasn't their fault, and they had done everything within their power to prevent such an attack.

She hadn't even spoken to her family since the night of the rescue. She assumed that they knew she was okay, since they hadn't called her back. Maybe the news, or a school representative or something. The reason didn't entirely matter. If they didn't know that she was okay, she would be hounded by calls and texts every second of the day. The Ashido's were close knit. Even her extended family were close to her, and she'd heard nothing. They were waiting for her to call, because they knew where she was now. And they weren't going to push it until Mina called them.

Dealing with them again…. It wasn't going to be a fun experience, she could already tell. Especially not after the way that she'd yelled at them. Her family were a forgiving bunch a lot of the time, and worried about her. She knew everything was because they were just worried… But they didn't understand what things were like for her. They weren't Heroes. They hadn't studied Heroics, or been in the line of fire that was Heroism. How could they understand?

She loved her family. She really did. But it was impossible to make them understand the true extent of what her life was now. It just couldn't be done. They had a different mindset to her. Civilians and Heroes, they had different ways of thinking.

After all, what other students would fight tooth and nail to continue studying at their school of choice? What other sorts of students would go to drastic extremes to do that, even when faced with danger, attacks at said school, and danger at every turn?

Only Hero students would do that. Because they just thought differently.

Classes at Yuuei were due to start in the next couple of days, so if both Izuku and Mina were going to attend for the full semester, a decision had to be made as quickly as possible. There wasn't any doubt in Mina's mind that this was part of why Izuku's mother was coming tomorrow. To pick up her son, and actually, seriously discuss the dorms with him and the teachers. Well, teacher. All Might had let Izuku know that he intended to visit in the morning too, and his visit would coincide with Mrs. Midoriya's. A debate was inevitable. Mina wanted to take part in that debate though. After everything that had gone down, she felt like she had a voice that deserved to be heard.

And she sure as hell wasn't about to let Izuku go after she had just got him back.

* * *

"Touch starvation?"

Mina nodded with an awkward half frown on her lips. The right side curled downwards, while the rest remained indifferently horizontal. Her eyes also did a slight roll to the side that came from the awkwardness of the conversation.

The entire series of events that had gone down were entirely due to their inability to be honest and talk to one another about various things. Izuku's inability to express his own emotions to Mina, and Mina's own emotional withdrawnness. Despite being an open person, Mina often held back when she felt Izuku was going to be uncomfortable about a certain topic, and that had ended up causing friction between the two of them. She cared about Izuku and never wanted to upset or hurt him, but it had the opposite effect. Everything could have been avoided if they were just able to _talk_ to one another. If they could just be honest with each other. If they could just truly trust one another, with everything.

So, that was what they decided that they needed to be.

No secrets, no holding anything back anymore. They just had to be up front, and be honest. A clean slate where everything that needed to be brought up was brought up.

Touch starvation being one of them. "Yeah…" Mina looked a bit awkward, glancing down to her phone, and typing in a few keys, before handing the device to Izuku. "One of my old middle school friends, she has a girlfriend and she says has the same deal. Her girlfriend was kind of awkward about, the whole, you know… Physical affection kind of thing…"

"…Like me?"

"…Kind of? I think less so. I've barely seen either of them since we got into Yuuei, but she seems sort of awkward, so... I guess so."

"Okay…"

"Well, my friend, Miki, she wanted advice on how to, you know, get her girlfriend to do the whole touchy… Affection thing. She sent me this article on it and, I read it, and… Well…" She nodded towards her phone, indicating that she wanted Izuku to look over what was on the device.

So he did so, scanning over the words quickly and taking everything in that it had to say. It was a short description, going over exactly what being touch starved meant. Mina was usually very physically affectionate, and Izuku was one to normally return that. But rare was it that he was the one to initiate it. Which seemed to be what this article was implying.

"…I like it when you hold me." Mina said, a mild blush on her face. "I feel like I need you to, sometimes. I don't mean like in a you know, 'fun times' way." She made finger gestures with her index and middle fingers on both hands, and allowed herself a small smirk, unable to resist the opportunity to lightly tease him. "Although that one time was fun."

Izuku blushed, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"...I know I'm kind of clingy sometimes, and I know you're a bit uncomfortable with it sometimes too… But I just…" She trailed off, and looked towards her own hands again, wiggling her fingers along and letting out a small sigh. "I guess it was just that, you never said that you loved me before… So it felt like touch was the only way that… You ever showed you cared…"

Making Izuku feel guilty wasn't Mina's goal. It was the last thing that she wanted to do. But she had to be honest with him and be up front with the things that were bothering her, that had been bothering her since they even began their relationship. That was really the only way that they were going to get around avoiding this sort of thing from happening again.

Even if that meant upsetting him.

She could tell that he was upset. Not with her, but more with himself. She could practically see his face fall, and his own head rush to call him an absolute moron for not noticing this all sooner. It wasn't his fault. Well, it was… But she knew he hadn't meant to upset her. That had never been his goal.

Izuku was just…. Well, Izuku. Awkward with girls, especially with his girlfriend, and oblivious at times. Never malicious. Just unsure of himself. Of everything. After all, it was difficult to forget that this was still all new to him. It was easy to forget that this was all new to Mina too. In the grand scheme of things, they hadn't dated for long. Only a few months, when they looked at the actual dates.

The look in his eyes said it all. Spoke volumes about how upset he'd gotten over hearing this. How annoyed he was at himself for missing something so important that had caused Mina so much grief. Annoyance at himself for just being unable to voice his emotions to her, of all people.

That not being able to do so was the catalyst for everything. "…Mina, I… I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to be." She smiled softly. "It's okay. Just… Now you know, so…"

Affection, Izuku had long since realized, was a difficult thing to actually pin down. To figure out exactly what it was, and how to show it. To different people, it had different meaning, and different people felt it in different ways. From his own prior life experience, physical affection was just something that he rarely ever got. From his mother, sure, but that was it. And even then, when he would actually need it, when he actually needed reassurance, he would rarely ever go to her, unwilling to make her worry or fret over him.

She was showered with enough guilt for his Quirklessness as it was. He never wanted to add anything to it. So he had just learned to get by without that contact, and it made him awkward about initiating it a lot of the time. He could get by just from being in someone's company. Really, that was all he particularly felt that he wanted for the majority of his life. Just someone close to him. A friend. A girlfriend hadn't particularly crossed his mind until Yuuei.

And yet here he was now. With Mina. And he cared for her far more than he'd ever cared for anyone else. He loved her.

A girlfriend who understood and felt affection in an entirely different way to him. She felt it through touch. Mina was a very forward person, and that sort of affection was just second nature to her. He should have figured it out.

They both had a lot that they needed to work through. A lot to figure out. A lot to understand, and still, had a lot to go through together.

"…Even not counting the whole, Villain attacks…" Izuku said, slowly. "…We've been busy a lot, haven't we?..."

"…Yeah."

"We haven't even been on a date in… A while." He couldn't even remember the last time when they had last just gone out on an actual date. They were Hero Course students at Yuuei High, of course their free time was going to be limited. That said, they had to try to make exceptions for themselves, for them to just enjoy one another's company. To be allowed to grow closer and bond as a couple. Or they would just run into more problems like this. "We… We should do that. Like… An actual date, when we get everything settled."

In the corner of his eye, he could see Mina smile lightly. "You… Think so?"

"After everything we've been through?... Yeah." He allowed himself to smile too. "If you want to…"

"Yeah." Mina nodded, though her smile faded slightly. "…Though I guess we should worry more about making sure we can stay at Yuuei together tight now, huh?"

Both of them knew that they were just killing time until Izuku's mother showed up. She was going to be armed with a list of questions and an oceans worth of tears. When she had been around Mina, they hadn't discussed Yuuei in the slightest. Mina had been too focused on Izuku to even entertain the discussion, so she simply never brought it up.

Likewise, Inko never did either. It was like an unspoken rule between the two of them not to argue about it until Izuku was awake. Likewise, when they had called Inko to let her know that Izuku was awake, her wails of joy could be heard throughout the entire room. Her relief and joy that her son was okay was palpable. But she clearly wasn't going to be in a hurry to let son go back into the world that had stolen him from her and landed him in the hospital.

Neither of them were looking forward to the argument.

Connecting the green-haired boy's room was a smaller bathroom. It was just a small room, put still large enough to fit in a sink with running water. Izuku let out a small sigh, and then made an effort to stand up. He swung his legs off of his mattress, and then attempted to stand up.

The moment that his legs were called upon to support his body weight, he felt them rattle and shake. Not having used his legs fully for a while, he wobbled, grabbing hold of his bedside table for support.

Recovery was an incredible Quirk. Even though he hadn't used them for a full week, his limbs didn't feel all too bad at all. A bit shaky, yes, but it certainly wasn't going to be something that would impede his walking ability for long. A day or two at the most.

"Woah, Izu, you okay?" Mina immediately jumped up and made it to Izuku's side, ready to catch hold of him should he fall.

"I'm okay. I - I think." Izuku assured her, finding his firm footing, before letting go of the bedside table, and tried standing without support. "I... I think I'm okay."

"You need some help?"

"I... I'm alright. I... I just want to get some water."

"You want me to get it for you?"

"No, it's... It's... Sort of a ritual for me."

Mina's eyebrow raised up. She didn't even need to speak for Izuku to understand how odd what he just said had to sound to someone who didn't understand what he was talking about.

He blushed gently in embarrassment. "I-It's... It's just something I used to do. Back when I kept breaking my bones with One For All... It was... It was silly. But it just sort of made me feel better. It felt me know I could do things on my own again..." He explained, gently biting the inside of his lower lip as he did so. "It... It made me feel like I wasn't broken anymore."

"Izuku..." Was that how he felt right now? Like he was broken? Like he was a hindrance on people when he was like this? Then again, Mina couldn't blame him.

Aizawa had always told him that when he was like this, he wasn't much more than a hindrance on people. That sort of rhetoric had been battered into him by one of Yuuei's strictest, yet most experienced instructors. By a Hero who knew what he was talking about. Who had seen this sort of thing, time and time again.

Of course Izuku would take that to heart.

...Although, there was something that separated Izuku and Mina from Aizawa. Something that separated them, from All Might, and so many famous Heroes in the modern age.

"...Don't be dumb, Izu." She said calmly. She bent down so she could look him in the eyes, letting him know she was there, but she moved her hands behind her waist. "I won't help you if you don't need it... But you don't need to think of yourself as being broken, you know. You're not broken, and even if you were... It's my job to help you."

"I... I don,t want you to have to keep looking out for me like this. I... I want to be able to do things on my own... I don,t want to hinder anyone... Or be a nuisance to you."

"We're a team, remember?" She smiled. "Team Awkward Energy, remember? It's part of being on the same team. We get to lean on each other."

The green-eyed boy looked back at his black-eyed girlfriend, a mixture of emotions filling him all at once. Gratitude. Shame. Pride. Joy. Sadness. After everything, he had honestly managed to forget somehow. Forget that he was allowed to rely on Mina. Not just as his girlfriend. But as a teammate too.

"...I'm sorry." He said gently, blinking and looking towards the ground.

"So as Team Awkward Energy's Team acting leader -"

"L-Leader?"

" - I hereby order you to rely on me when you need to." The pink girl gave him a playful smirk. "Don't feel bad about asking me for help when you need to."

Somehow, he managed to let out a small laugh. This whole short act was a very Mina thing to do, he couldn't help but be used by it. She understood him incredibly well. More than he felt he understood himself sometimes. And how to both make him see the right way when he made mistakes, and to make him remember, his burden wasn't his own. Not anymore.

"...Thanks, Mina." He said, looking back at her. "...But I still want to do this on my own. For my sake."

"Of course." Mina nodded. "But I'll go with you. Make sure to catch you if you fall down."

"Thank you."

She smiled and took a step back. Her arms went to her sides, ready to catch him if he fell. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Izuku nodded and made himself stand up straight. He took a deep breath, then started to put one foot in front of the other. The first few steps, he focused on figuring out if he was going to need to readjust himself again. His footing was fine, as was his balance, so he kept putting one foot in front of the other. His muscles hadn't been used in a while, so they reacted accordingly. It was more like they were numb, but the feeling quickly returned with actual activity.

"You doing okay?" Mina asked. She walked alongside him, just in case.

"I'm okay." Izuku assured her again. Her concern was easily understandable. After the hell made real that she'd been forced through because of him, she was bound be worried over everything he did. All things considered, she was being incredibly supportive and understanding of his quirky desires and requests. He gave her a smile. "I promise. I'm okay."

It didn't take him too long to reach the bathroom. Once in there, he found the nearest glass, filled it up to the brim with as much cold water as it could handle, and drunk it all down in one long breath. He gasped one he finished, his body refreshed and himself feeling calmer and accomplished. He looked at himself in the mirror. Anyone who didn't know that he was injured wouldn't suspect a thing from his face alone. His body was another story.

More scars to add to the list, as well as an unsightly, enormous burn that ran right down from his shoulder all over his bicep, visible from the cut off of his hospital robe. On impulse and curiosity, he rolled up his sleeve, to view the damage in full.

Third degree burns meant that this was going to remain with him for the rest of his life. He couldn't help but flinch at it. Scars, he could deal with without any issue. They served as reminders of the lessons that he had w ere small things too, and he never felt like he was damaged afterwards. This burn... He felt he suddenly understood Todoroki more than ever. He had known he had it, but he hadn't seen it in full until now. It hadn't been possible through his robe. Right now, he wasn't sure if that had been a mercy or not.

He hadn't gotten this burn from saving someone. The entire mission to rescue Bakugou had ended in absolute and total failure. It had gotten himself kidnapped to boot. He hadn't accomplished anything. In fact, he'd done less than nothing, he'd gotten himself kidnapped as well. All he'd done is cause more trouble for everyone. For the Heroes. For Mina.

This burn was going to remind him of that for the rest of his life. Every time he looked in the mirror, he was going to remember that he was nought but a burden for that operation. That he'd only caused more pain than needed.

"Izu?..." Mina came into view in the mirror behind him, her concern clear in her expression.

"I... It's the first time I've... Seen it." His eyes were firmly focused on it. "I'll... Have to wear some sort of sleeve or something. To make sure it doesn't get injured again... For a while, at least."

"...Are you okay?"

"... It's not the same as my other scars." He said, not showing a change in emotion. "I'm... I'm not too sure how I'm supposed to even describe it. It just... I don't know. I'm not... I'm not sure what to even say about it."

There wasn't much Mina could say to him to try to reassure him. There wasn't any way she could really say she understood. She couldn't. Not for something like a burn. "...if it makes you feel better, it doesn't bother me."

No response.

An idea quickly jumped into Mina's head.

She held up her right hand in the mirror for him to see. Her own scars, the wound through her palm being the most prominent, were all on display for him to see. Izuku had bigger, but less scars. Mina had more, but smaller ones, in a more concentrated area.

When he saw them in the mirror, he quickly turned around to look at them directly. He hadn't even seen them before - Since getting back, he hadn't paid all that much attention to her hands. Not close enough to notice all the scratches and blemishes around them. "M-Mina..."

"See, we're scar buddies!" She smiled and joked playfully.

"S... Scar buddies?"

"Like how me and Kirishima are Horn Buddies. Only about eighty percent more painful." She pointed to her horns, where the other twenty percent supposedly had come from. "These things didn't grow painlessly, y'know. It was like my brain was teething."

He couldn't stop himself from laughing gently at that. Mina allowed herself a small giggle, before she returned to a more serious tone.

"You've got a nasty injury, yeah, and a lot of scars... But you're not alone." Mina slid her right hand into Izuku's. It was a slightly awkward grab, since she decided to interwind their fingers at an odd angle, but she managed it somehow. Her fingers squeezed against his hand as she spoke. "I know you're gonna get sick of me telling you that sooner or later, so just... Remember that you're here. And I'd rather have you with a nasty scar than not have you here at all."

Izuku's fingers squeezed Mina's hand in response, a small smile on his lips. Mina just had this skill to say something simple to him, put her heart into it, and make him smile and feel better about himself. About the situation that he found himself in. She made him just feel better about things in general. How she did it, he really didn't know. It was just something she managed to do.

She always managed to say things that he needed to hear, that he needed to be reminded of.

He was grateful. He was always going to be grateful for her. For her words, her support. Just for her being here. Still willing to be here, after everything that she'd been through. After everything that the pair of them had gone through, she still wanted to be with him. Still accepted him, broken and battered. She wasn't a superficial person. Not at all, and he never thought that she was... But it was nice to have that assurance from her. That relaxing feeling, that comfort and serenity of unconditional acceptance, despite his Quirklessness, despite his various personality ticks and traits, and his scars and injuries.

It made him just all the more happy to have her. She made him feel better. He couldn't ever repeat that enough to her.

As the pair of them returned to the main room, both were startled as they hear a light knocking on the door. "Midoriya? Are you decent, my boy?"

His voice was unmistakable. It wasn't quite as boisterous and loud as his Hero form, but All Might had a voice that was instantly recognizable to those who heard it.

"All Might?" Izuku sounded briefly surprised, before he made himself calm down. He knew All Might would be paying him a visit today, but he had still been caught off guard by his arrival. He blinked twice before instantly patting down his hospital robe for creases and wrinkles like it were a uniform, and then vocally answering. "Y-Yeah, come on in."

Exactly one second later, the door opened, and the skinny, tall form that was the true All Might walked in. Even though she had known for a while now, Mina couldn't help but feel nothing but disbelief that this was what All Might really was underneath all that muscle and that famous smile. He looked like an entirely different person, which was probably why he had managed to keep his identity hidden for so long.

Even though she knew, she still didn't recognize the guy. It was eerie. And now, the whole world knew who this was. It would take a while for them all the adjust, but eventually, this skinny, brittle man would be as hailed and revered as the leaning, muscular American themed Hero. Which he was.

It was confusing to think of All Might as being two separate people, but he almost was, to a certain degree. Even though Mina understood it all perfectly well, it didn't make it easier to get her head around it.

Once he saw the green-haired boy, All Might stopped for a brief moment to just look at Izuku, and all the many injuries that he'd accumulated. He clearly was as shaken as Mina by the sight of them all, taken aback even though he'd seen far worse in his time. Suffered far worse, from the enormous life changing injury that took out his insides. He seemed to inspect them for a singular moment, before looking his protégé in the eyes.

"…Are you alright, my boy?" The former Pro asked. He didn't bother to try and hide the clear concern that existed within his voice. The sheer care that he had for his student couldn't be more obvious. The pair of them had a bond though their joined use of the same Quirk that Mina wouldn't ever be able to fully comprehend.

Compared to how he normally was around the legendary Hero, Izuku seemed calmer. More reserved and civil than he did a fanboy. Maybe it was just the sheer magnitude of what he'd been through that had impacted him. "I'm okay, All Might. I'm… About as well as you could expect, I guess..."

"Uh… Should I leave you two to talk?" Mina asked. "I'm guessing you two have One For All things you need to talk about."

Izuku had come face to face with the true evil that One For All had originally been created from, and was used to fight against. He'd been through an experience so traumatic, if he were a less determined person, he could have given up on Heroism and no one would blame him for a second. He'd faced against unspeakable evil and managed to survive. And now, without All Might there to save him, he realized that if that ever happened again, he could well be on his own.

All Might might have student teacher… Things he wanted to share with Izuku. It seemed like it was right to leave them to it if that was the case.

"If that wouldn't be too much trouble, Ashido." The skinny All Might said, nodding his head in appreciation of Mina's offer.

The pink girl exchanged a look with her boyfriend, who gave her a soft smile and a nod of his own in return, before Mina made her way past All Might and out the door. As she turned around to shut it, she saw the tall Hero suddenly embracing his young student, apparently totally overcome by the relief that he'd barely been able to hide.

Izuku looked like he had no idea how to react to the situation, blankly staring with his eyes wide open over his teachers shoulder and towards Mina like a deer caught in the headlights.

Mina smiled softly and closed the door. She leaned against the now shut door, and let out a small, soft sigh.

Outside this hospital, the world was a vastly different place. She'd been out of the hospital before, but she'd never really stopped to look at how society was changing. All thanks to the loss of one single Hero. All Might was an incredible Hero, there was no doubt about that whatsoever, but without him active now, how would that impact the world? What would that change about society, and how would the world be impacted by the loss of one of their greatest Heroes?

From inside the room, behind the door she leaned on, she could hear the muffled voices of All Might explaining the situation to Izuku. She couldn't hear the exact words that were used or tell what they were even talking about. Secret things, probably.

Meanwhile, what were the options that she had? What was in front of her that she could do?

Izuku had One For All, and he received it because All Might seemed to believe that Izuku was capable of succeeding him as the next big Hero that would shape the world. That he was going to be the next symbol of peace. Mina had complete confidence in her boyfriend and knew that he was absolutely more than capable of becoming the next champion of Heroes.

But he was her teammate just as much as he was her boyfriend. And she wanted to help him achieve that goal. And to do that, she was going to need to be stronger. A lot stronger.

What options did she have ahead of her? She could focus on trying to increase her output before her skin gave up on generating her Acid, and trying to increase the corrosiveness and the viscosity of it too. Maybe there was something that she could do with her costume. Maybe some equipment or something to help her out. Maybe she could finally start focusing on those special moves that she had been thinking of beforehand.

The next few months were going to end up being important for Izuku. And by extension, they were going to be very important to Mina as well.

She remained outside the room for a minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. She couldn't hear anything that was being spoken about inside, although she could be certain she heard Izuku crying at one point. Somehow, she wasn't surprised. That was a pretty Izuku thing for him to do. Whatever All Might was saying in there, it was having a profound effect on him, without question.

"Ashido!"

Mina wasn't sure how long she had been waiting outside Izuku's room when she was approached by a larger woman. She recognized both her voice and her appearance within a split second.

"Mrs. Midoriya!" Mina noticed that the older woman looked for more haphazard than she had done when she had visited her son previously. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes looked to somehow be wider than normal. She looked like she'd been rushing around everywhere trying to get here in the midst of a hurricane.

Inko was also out of breath. Clearly, she had run throughout the building to find her sons room. Her face was red from the rush, and Mina could have sworn she saw tears already welling up at the corner of her eyes. The care that she showed towards her son was heart-warming to say the very least.

"Ashido, Izuku, is he – "

Th door slid open from behind Mina, Izuku poking his head out. "Hey, Mina, we're–" He stopped as he saw the older woman with tears streaking down her face as soon as she saw him. For a brief moment, neither of them said a word, until their brains registered who it was they were looking at. "M - Mom?"

"Izuku!" Without warning, Inko practically threw herself at her son, pulling him into one of the tightest hugs that Mina had ever seen. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, happy for the older woman and her clear relief at her son's improved state.

Mina had watched the poor woman go through hell and seeing her so happy that she was reduced to the trademarked Midoriya happy tears brought her to the verge of joyful crying herself.

At this point, Inko was openly sobbing as she hugged her child as tightly as she could. "Oh Izuku, oh my baby boy…"

"…I'm sorry…" It was all Izuku seemed to be able to say. To just apologize to her. To say he was sorry for causing her so much grief and worry. To say he was sorry for forcing her to go through this, even though it wasn't his fault. None of it was his fault, but he still he apologized. "'I'm sorry…"

All Might looked like he was about to say something, but Mina made a waving hand gesture to persuade him not to. To instead, just allow the mother and son to hug it out after being separated for so long. They needed it, more than the older man was ever going to know. Mina knew though. It hadn't been long since she had needed to just hug the guy more than anything else.

* * *

 **And so it returns! It's not as grandiose as I would have liked, but I honestly hit a roadblock and I couldn't break it without it feeling unnatural. So, I cut the return chapter short – But Awkward Energy is Back!**

 **You guys have been so immensely supportive of the series in it's hiatus, I honestly can't thank you all enough. It's been fun catching up on other works and taking a break from this story, but it's FINALLY back! It's been way too long and I've missed this series a lot. Ideas are swimming around in my head and I am so looking forwards to sharing them with you! Including actual dates between Izuku and Mina, an altered dynamic in the dorm rooms, and a total overhaul of the arc I utterly hate the most. Ironically overhauls. It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to sharing them all!**

 **I intend to try to return to this series on a bi-weekly basis. Why Bi-weekly?**

 **I'm also working on a spinoff series which is canon with the Awkward Energy timeline – HandCrafted, which is a series I'll be also using to fill in some of the holes in the Awkward Energy's story. It's between Momo and Itsuka Kendou, so that's going to be a fun rare ship I plan on trying to boost up too. So if you want more AE on an alternate perspective, be sure to check out HandCrafted – I think it's going to be a nice story to have going alongside AE.**

 **Obviously my uni work has to come first, since I'd like to actual make a career out of comics, but ill be doing the best I can.**

 **And I cannot say thank you enough to those of you who support me on Pat Reon. You guys have been absolutely incredible and patient with me, still supporting me the entire time. I can't even begin to thank you enough, and I return and hope I can make your donations worth it!**

 **So welcome back, everyone! And I hope that you guys can enjoy this return, and join me on this adventure back into Team Awkward Energy!**


	56. For

Izuku and his mother were always close, from what Mina had come to learn about the Midoriya household. Part of that had to have come from his Quirkless nature. In a world filled to the very brim with Quirks of all shapes and sizes, having a birth defect like that – Which was Izuku's reason for being Quirkless, rather than it being a genetic matter – would make any good parent terrified about the safety of their child. And Inko Midoriya was a very good mother.

There had only been a few occasions that Mina had seen the older woman's care first-hand, but she knew that she was an incredible caring and supportive woman. There had only been a few occasions in which Mina had ever spoken to Inko, but it had been enough to get a feel for her. To know how much she cared about her son. How close they were. How proud, yet terrified for him she always was.

Heroes families had to always be like this, Mina realized. Parents, who despite being so proud of their children and the sacrifices they went through to protect people who couldn't protect themselves, lived in that constant fear and anxiety of not knowing if their child was going to make it home at the end of the day. It happened nearly every day, somewhere in the world. A Hero who wasn't going to return from the battlefield.

If dying of old age wasn't an option, Mina wanted to go out while fighting Villains and protecting people. She'd said that before, and she'd say it again, because at least then, she could be helping someone in her final moments. But seeing Inko, reduced to enough tears to flood an entire continent, she couldn't help but think about her own family. And how much she'd neglected their feelings on the matter. How much pain she may have caused them. How much pain and worry she would keep causing them by attending Yuuei. But going back to how things were before attending the famous school… It wasn't an option. Not anymore.

They needed to talk. They needed to just talk. What had happened would shake any parent, anywhere in the world. And they just needed to talk.

Right now, Izuku was the focus though. He and his mother spent less time talking and more time seemingly just crying at one another, letting everything out that they needed to. There were just as many tears from Inko as there were from Mina when she finally had her boyfriend back, and when he had finally told her he loved her.

The smallest of smiles sketched itself onto her lips as she remembered the warmth those words gave her. And that warmth turned into a determined, clenched fist. Izuku had to keep attending Yuuei. He just… He had to. They had been through so much…

After all of that, there was no way she was going to let them be separated.

"I-I'm just so glad you're safe, Izuku…" Inko sobbed into her son's shoulder for the seventeenth time.

For the most part, while he'd been an absolute wreck himself, Izuku had been a lot less emotional than his mother. He had cried just as she had, but not nearly as much, or nearly as long. Instead, he had just returned his mothers lengthy hugs, let her cry, and tried to reassure her that he was okay, and that the Villains hadn't hurt him too badly. Aside from his burn, he wasn't even lying either. Most of his injuries had been self-inflicted, especially the major ones, though they had now healed.

Somehow, Mina doubted that hearing that half the reason Izuku was in hospital was because of himself would be of assurance to his mother.

"…I'm glad I'm safe too." Izuku said gently, though there was the slightest edge of humour in his voice.

Over his mother's head, he glanced between All Might and Mina, both looking slightly awkward and out of place, feeling that this was something personal that they shouldn't really be present for, and yet both couldn't keep the smiles off their faces.

"…It's because of All Might and Mina I'm okay though." He spoke honestly and calmly.

Without All Might and the other Heroes to save him being there, he honestly didn't know what would have happened to him. The chances were that he and Bakugou would be dead by now, executed once the league realized that they weren't going to sway the Explosion Quirk user, and Izuku just for the fun of it. And that would be the end of it.

And even then, the mission hadn't been a complete success on its own. While it was no fault of the Heroes at all, as they had no way to predict All For Ones many Quirks, the mission had come dangerously close to being a total bust. With both the kidnapped students now in the midst of a battlefield, All Might wasn't able to go all out. And he could have easily lost in that case.

Mina had helped to save him just as much as All Might had. Some could even argue that she had been the more direct saviour than All Might had been.

It almost seemed like that was the first time that Inko even acknowledged that there were two other people in the room with her and her son. She tore her eyes way from her child for the first time since she had entered, and looked between the now retired Pro Hero, and her son's girlfriend, trying to find or articulate the words to express just how grateful that she was to both of them. She almost looked embarrassed to an extent for not even noticing they were in the room.

"I-I'm sorry, I – "

"No, no, there's no need to apologize." All Might quickly held both of his bandaged arms up, almost like he was pushing away the apology with his palms. "It's quite alright. I understand entirely."

Mina just smiled softly, gently showing Inko that she too understood.

Inko looked for all the world like she was about to stammer out some sort of long worded apology and a multitude of words of gratitude towards the Pro and the student. The words caught in her throat though, and she couldn't even begin to speak.

So instead, she just bowed, and made her words short and simple. "Thank you. Thank you so much for saving my son."

The former number one Hero smiled softly, and just nodded his head. He was used to hearing those words from all manner of people. He never needed that thanks though, but he was always appreciative of it. And he so rarely got so receive them so personally. His injury prevented that so often, the reoccurring risk of his secret being ousted stopping him time and time again, so many of his 'thank you's' came in the form of fan mail and email. Despite his frail form, he managed to carry himself with dignity and restraint, acting professional despite his forced retirement.

Next, Inko turned to look at Mina.

For a second, the pair of them just locked eyes. When the two of them sat down and actually thought about it, they didn't know one another all that well. They knew just about as much as Izuku would tell them about the other, and of course, he would always sing their praises to the other. Their conversations had been limited, and they were rarely under ideal circumstances.

"While reckless and no doubt to get her into trouble with the officials at Yuuei…Were it not for young Ashido and her group," All Might stated, looking towards the pink girl with a look of genuine honesty. "…I doubt that we would have been able to rescue Midoriya and Bakugou."

Inko suddenly wrapped Mina into one of the motherliest hugs Mina could possibly ever remember. It actually made her pause for a moment, before blinking and feeling her eyes wide at the contact

"Thank you." Inko hugged tighter. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears again as her voice broke, and she sniffled, doing her best not to get it on Mina's shoulder.

She didn't need to say anything more. There wasn't any point to saying anything more to Mina, because it wasn't ever going to be enough. While they didn't know each other as well as they wanted to, Mina was already a part of the family as far as Inko was concerned, and it was suddenly hard to remember a time when she wasn't.

It took her a few moments, but Mina gently returned the hug, wrapping her arms around the larger woman's torso the best that she could. It was an awkward hug, but neither seemed to mind.

All Might cleared his throat after the two had embraced for a few seconds, covering his mouth with his fist. A clear look of anxiety suddenly filled up his face, and he scratched the back of his abnormally long neck with the hand he had just used to cover his mouth. "Mrs. Midoriya, I… Am sorry to have to bring this up so soon…"

Izuku and Mina both felt their blood freeze, and quickly glanced towards one another. Izuku's teeth were all on display, his lower lip curling downwards in apprehension. Mina just bit her lower lip, and her eyes went wider than Izuku's were on a regular basis. Both of them knew what was coming.

The conversation both were horrified of.

"But there is the matter of young Midoriya's continued attendance at Yuuei."

There it was. From the second Inko had stepped door in the room, this conversation had been inevitable. It was such an important one, and one that just needed to be had, that there was no way that it wouldn't be brought up. If All Might hadn't brought it up, Inko would have. And if she hadn't brought it up, Mina and Izuku would have. Even if they were afraid of the answer.

It was as important to them as it would be to her

Inko's face suddenly became emotionless, and neither Mina nor Izuku could read a single thing that she was thinking. It was honestly surreal, and downright discomforting for the two teenagers, especially for Izuku. His mother had always been so expressive and up front with her emotions, and he had always easily been able to figure out when something was bothering her just by looking at her face. Suddenly, she was a blank slate that showed nothing.

Nothing at all.

With little to go on, the former Hero carried on. "…With the incident with your son, Yuuei has permitted that he be allowed to wake from his coma, as well as allowing him some time off if he feels he needs it for rehabilitation. However…Other issues have arisen that the school board needs addressing as quickly as possible." He turned his head towards Mina, and then continued. "The same treatment has been extended to young Ashido, in light of her and Midoriya's relationship with one another. But that same courtesy only extends as long as it does for Midoriya. Her own family hasn't been consulted on the dorm situation, since she hasn't been there to be present for the discussion herself."

Mina scratched her arm gently.

"A number of things are being discussed at Yuuei… And I'm afraid Midoriya is the centrepiece of it all…" It was clear that All Might wasn't finding any pleasure in this himself. The look of regret and palpable remorse and empathy he had was clear. This wasn't appropriate to ask.

It wasn't fair to ask. Not to a mother who just got her son back. But as much as he hated to admit it – All eyes were on his pupil, and what happened at Yuuei very much depended on if he carried on attending the famous school.

"…Forgive me for forcing this on you, but… We need to know where you stand on this matter. As soon as possible."

"I want to go to Yuuei!"

Suddenly standing up, and wobbling onto his balance, Izuku spoke clearly and bluntly made his opinion known. It wasn't a surprise in the slightest to anyone in the room how quick his answer had been. He turned his full attention to his mother. He couldn't see her eyes because her hair was in the way, flopping over as she found her gaze directed primarily towards the floor, but he spoke regardless.

Just because she couldn't see him. It didn't mean she wouldn't be able to tell how serious he was. "Mom!... I…" At his sides, his hands turned into fists. "…I… I worked so hard to go to Yuuei in the first place!... Everything I did in my last year of middle school… It was to go to Yuuei. To… Learn to become a Hero who can save people with a smile…"

His fists suddenly loosened, and his hands hung by his waist.

"…But… I couldn't save _anyone_. It was just like Aizawa-sensei said… With my Quirk the way it is… With… _Me_ the way I am… I… I can't be a Hero. I'm not a Hero at all…" His head lowered, hiding his eyes. Mina wanted to approach him, to hug him, and to tell him not to be so dumb. He carried on before she could even move though. "…I tried to save everyone… And all I did…" He began to tremble. "…I-I got in everyone's way, and I needed e-everyone else to save me instead."

"I-Izu…." Mina raised her hand up to about chest level, wanting to approach him and try to reassure him. "Izu, don't say tha – "

"That's why I have to keep going to Yuuei though!..."

Suddenly, his hands were in fists again, and his green eyes, though filled to the brim with tears which were spilling down his cheeks already, even as he spoke, were firm. He felt his stomach curl as he put ever ounce of conviction that he had into his next few words.

"I… I need to keep going to Yuuei so I can learn how to control my power. I-I'm a…. A late bloomer… And it's just… I… I've had so many gifts… So much support… And everyone around me – They've helped me achieve my goals, so, so many times. I'm… I'm only here because people helped me along the way… I - I have to – "

"Okay."

The room went silent again for a few seconds. Total, complete silence. Mina's eyes shot wide open as she looked Inko, utter shock all over her face. Izuku's expression was the same, though his far more exaggerated. Even All Might seemed surprised.

"H-Huh?" Both Izuku and Mina vocally reacted without even really meaning to.

They both just blinked, surprise very clearly evident in their expressions.

Inko stood herself up straight, looking towards her son with a soft expression in her eyes. A short glance towards Mina and then towards All Might later, she spoke. "I didn't have any intention of trying to stop you from going to Yuuei, Izuku. I never planned to try to prevent you."

"A… A-Are you serious?"

The short woman nodded, and smiled softly. "I… I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards All Might. As a citizen, no… As a parent. I've never had more respect for you as I do now." She turned her head to talk to All Might directly, before turning to look at her son again.

As she spoke, Mina had made her way towards her boyfriend's side, and held onto his hand with hers. There had been so much tension built up, so much anxiety and worry…

"…But to tell you the truth, I… I don't have faith in Yuuei anymore. I don't have any faith in the Heroes or teachers who run the school. Not to keep you safe, and not to stop you..." She stopped, and just gestured to the hospital room with both her hands. "...From ending up in here, again and again…."

"M…. Mom…"

"To be honest… I almost did think about pulling you out of Yuuei. Before you were rescued." Inko spoke softly, wiping a tear from her eye. "…But Ashi - …. Mina. Mina stopped me."

All eyes ended up on the pink girl, including her own. Once again, her black eyes ended up locking eyes with the older Midoriya's green ones. She had to blink, and felt her hands grip tighter onto Izuku's without her realizing.

What had she done?

"…Before she left, Mina… Mina called me. To tell me what was happening. She told me all about her plan to rescue you."

Had she? It felt so long ago, Mina honestly hardly even remembered their conversation. Her breath began to hold without her realizing. and her grip just grew tighter still.

"She told me about what the plan was… She told me your classmates managed to set up some sort of tracking system, and could follow you to your location. That she wasn't going alone... That she…" She paused, deciding against her final sentence before turning to Izuku. "I was against the plan. I… I tried to tell her to inform the Heroes. That it was just too dangerous for her. I wanted you back… But I didn't want her to get hurt or worse trying to get you back. You… You're both so young. I couldn't just let it happen without saying anything…"

The green haired boy glanced towards his girlfriend, though her eyes were firmly focused on his mother. He hadn't heard this story before. He had no idea Mina had gone and done all of this…

"…She told me she loved you."

Under other circumstances, Izuku would have blushed. But instead, his attention turned right back towards her.

Inko gave the pair of them a smile. A warm, motherly smile this time that showed nothing but adoration for both of the teenagers that were in front of her. "She told me that she loved you more than she could even express to me. She told me that she…" She paused for a moment, and then smiled. "I won't embarrass her… But... Izuku, you know far better than anyone that… It's been difficult for you. Growing up without your Quirk ever manifesting… And I couldn't even tell you that you could…" She chocked on her tears, unable to even finish. The guilt wrecked through her body every day of her life. That guilt wasn't ever going to go away. Tears then began to fall from her eyes openly, no matter how quickly she tried to wipe them away before anyone saw.

Guilt, like she blamed herself for Izuku being Quirkless. "M-Mom, it's not your fault I was Quirkless. F-For so long." Guilt Izuku was so acutely aware of. But it was unfounded. Never had he once even thought to blame his mother for his Quirklessness. He had a birth defect. That was the end of it, and it wasn't his mothers fault that he had one. No, he wouldn't lie, never hearing that his mother thought that he could be a Hero did hurt during his younger years, but he never lacked an understanding of why she never told him that. He always understood why she said it

But it wasn't her fault. It never was, and never was going to be. And to see her this torn up over something that just wasn't her fault –

"You never gave up Izuku. And look at what happened." Inko said before he could say anything else. "You got into your dream school. You made friends… And you… You met Mina."

Mina blushed gently.

"You met someone who cares so much for you that she would risk her future and her life just to save you… Someone who believed in you from the start. Someone who… From the first time you mentioned her, you could only talk about like she was the best thing in the world… Who made you so happy… What sort of mother would I be if I tried to take you away from that?"

Izuku didn't bother trying to speak or articulate his gratitude, his relief, his joy and his happiness anymore. There would be no point. He wouldn't be able to express it all clearly.

He just ran up and hugged her. As tight as he could.

* * *

What followed was another hour of discussion, followed by medical check ups for Izuku, before he would finally be discharged. The plan was for both Mina and Izuku to spend the night at the Midoriya household, and pack everything the following morning. Once everything was sorted on that end, they would go to the Ashido household, where a far tougher fight was destined to wait for them.

There had been so much anxiety about the fight they would need to get into with Inko, so much build up and pent up energy for that argument, that in a weird way, Mina almost felt disappointed by a lack of a fight. She had all this energy all pent up, with nowhere to vent it. Still, for Inko's allowance to let Izuku keep attending Yuuei, even after everything… Mina couldn't help but be thankful. Just eternally thankful for her boyfriend's mother for being such a kind, understanding lady.

When she had called her… She hadn't ever expected to change her mind before she even knew it needed to be made. She hadn't ever really expected it to have an impact beyond just telling Inko what she was doing…

"...Thank you."

Both the parent Midoriya, and the young Ashido were waiting outside the medical check-up room for Izuku to exit and take him to be discharged. There was a comfortable silence between the two, that didn't need to be broken. Yet Mina did anyway, because she wanted Inko to know. To hear how thankful she was.

"Hmm?" Inko turned to look at Mina, caught off guard by what she'd just heard.

"We were… Really ready to fight our corner." Mina admitted. "We didn't want to, but… I just… Really. Thank you. It means a lot that you're willing to let Izuku keep going to Yuuei."

"I still don't like this, to tell you the truth." Inko confessed, letting out a small sigh as she looked towards her knees. "I was worried sick about him while the League of villains had him… I… I truly thought that this time… I'd lost him…"

"…Me too." The pink girl chuckled gently. "He gets himself into situations like this way too much for my liking… Which is any amount at all."

Inko allowed herself to gently laugh alongside Mina, a rarity considering the angers she and her son faced regularly. Mina just had that sort of energy about her, and an ability to make people see the lighter side of things even when there wasn't much of a bright light at the end of any given situation.

It wasn't hard to see how much better Izuku was after he began to date Mina. Anyone with eyes could see that. Mina made him better, inspired him to be better. And while Inko couldn't say the same about Izuku for Mina, she had a feeling that the same could be said about her.

"…Your parents." She said. "Do they… Like Izuku?"

"They adore him." Mina responded immediately. "My brothers and sister too. Mom and Dad pretty much already consider him part of the family… I don't think that'll make convincing them any easier though."

"May I ask why?"

"We're… A pretty close unit. Its just how we are. We stick together and support each other. We back each other up and we care about each other. My brother was like my best friend when I grew up, even if he annoyed me to tears. And my little brother and sister… They're just as much of a handful… But they call me a Hero already. They seem to think I'm already a Pro. Mom and Dad… They're friendly, but… They can get pretty protective sometimes." Mina laughed softly. "I remember once Mika was getting picked on before she got her Quirk, and me and Micha had to literally hold Dad back from beating on the little bully. We're just… We're close. We've always been close… And… They're proud of me. They tell me that so often I don't doubt it for a moment ever…"

"…But?"

"…But, back when the USJ was attacked… They nearly pulled me out of Yuuei right then and there. If it wasn't for All Might fighting like he did, they would have, and I wouldn't've met Izu. And this sort of thing… It just keeps happening. To Izu. To me. To all of us…"

"... Is… Is there a reason that it has to be Yuuei you go to?"

Mina's answer was a single word, spoken gently, and without anger or offense. "…Yes."

Inko nodded. "I… I'll do whatever I can to help you then."

"…Thank you."

"You're one of the best things In Izuku's life. I owe it to him just as much as you."

Inko Midorya understood. She didn't pry, and she trusted in Mina, and in Izuku. She understood and accepted that there were personal reasons why things needed to be the way that they were for the two of them. That there were personal reasons, sentiment, and emotions that drove what they did. Why they did what they did, and why they wanted things in a certain way. It wasn't for her to pry.

And Mina appreciated that to no end.

She was about to issue another word of thanks, but before she could, the doors to the check-up room opened, and out came Izuku.

Around his arms, numerous bandages covered his wrists and biceps. He looked a bit shaken, but on the whole, he was on his feet, and he was managing to put on a brave, albeit small smile.

"Izu!" Mina quickly jumped up out of her seat, and pulled him into a big hug, wrapping her arms around his neck, and running a hand into his curly green hair. He responded in kind by wrapping one arm around her waist, and his other hand, like hers, through her hair. "You alright?"

"I'm okay… It was just... Kind of hard hearing all of that." He told her.

"I'm here, Izu. If you need to talk..."

"...Thanks."

Both of them just stood there and hugged one another. The doctor spoke to Inko, informing her of whatever else was important. Neither of them heard it though. They just focused on one another.

* * *

 **A lot of you thought Inko was going to be hard fast against Izuku going to Yuuei – How's this for a twist? After seeing the lengths someone would go to for Izuku, I can't imagine Inko wanting to take her son away form some of the very few bits of genuine affection he's received throughout his life. You may have a different impression of her than I do – But I like this one.**

 **I apologize for it being such a short chapter. Uni work has been a big part of my life lately, and Adobe decided to make the stupidest update to photoshop, so that was fun trying to fix. I got it sorted now, but I've had to make this a shorter chapter than I'd like. I apologize for that.**

 **But I hope that you managed to enjoy – I'll see you next time, and I hope you're looking forward to the inevitable Ashido confrontation! It's going to be good – Trust me.**


	57. Return Call

The majority of the ride back to the Midoriya household was in complete silence. Izuku kept Mina's hand in his, interwinding their fingers, and in turn, she rested his head on her shoulder. It felt a bit like the calm before the storm, but that calm had never opened up to anything.

Both of them had been expecting to get into an enormous argument with Inko, to the point they'd almost rehearsed the fight in their minds and had predicted counters to anything that she had to say. They had been prepared, ready to fight their corner as fiercely as they needed to, unwilling to change their stances or minds about their feelings about the subject.

It had to be Yuuei. Because Yuuei was important to them.

Yuuei was the school they had both dreamed of going to since they discovered that they wanted to be Heroes. It was the place that they had aspired to go to throughout most of their years in middle school. It was what they had both trained and studied so, so hard for.

And it was where both of them met. Yuuei had sentiment to them. It was important to both of them, and they wanted to keep attending the school. Together. It had to be Yuuei. Even if it was dangerous, and even if Yuuei wasn't safe from all the Villain attacks anymore. Anywhere else… And it wouldn't be the same.

But they hadn't needed to fight. Inko had given her son her permission to attend, even in the face of all the danger and uncertainty. Because of Mina.

Because of how much she clearly cared. Because of how far she was willing to go. Because of what she had done. All because of a simple phone call… As Mina found herself looking absently at the background of her phone, dimly lit, she just found it bizarre to think that something as mundane as just calling Izuku's mother had affected everything about today. It was weird to think about. Difficult to consider that if she hadn't done what many would consider to be a dangerous choice, things might not have worked out the way that they had.

Things had worked out. Somehow.

It was just around the beginning of sunset. The sky was mostly blue, but the beginning of orange had begun to bleed into the colour, as the sun began to fall from it's place in the sky. Izuku, Mina and Inko were all in a taxi, their driver being a woman who had some kind of insect Quirk that gave her antenna and reflective eyes. Inko didn't drive.

No words were spoken between the three of them because of said taxi driver. Somehow, just talking about what had gone down over the last week just felt… Private. Like it wasn't something to be casually discussed.

Of course, hiding Izuku's identity after everything was nearly impossible. Thanks to his name being broadcast all over the country due to being kidnapped, alongside Bakugou, he was one of the most identifiable people in the country right now. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for Izuku to not get swamped various citizens asking him questions and wanting to know more about his experience.

Though, Mina still had his hoodie. Which she was able to return, finally. Putting the hood up, and his trademarked fluffy green hair was hidden easily. No one would think to look twice, and the drive hadn't either. Hiding Mina wasn't an easy task, but more people would be willing to just overlook her given the circumstances. Besides, Mina could handle people. Izuku was still an awkward sort.

Mina looked down at Izuku, for no real reason in particular. After going through Hell and back to get him and bring him home, just having him here right now almost felt like it was some sort of dream, or joke. It took everything inside her to remind herself that this was all real. That he was here. That he wasn't going anywhere, and that they were going to fight like Hell to make sure that they stayed together from here on out.

As she looked down, she saw that in his hand was a sheet of paper. A small piece, that he'd just been staring at for the longest time. She didn't even know how she hadn't noticed it until now. Perhaps it was because she just hadn't been focusing on what he had on him, more concerned with him just being there.

"What you go there, Izu?" She asked quietly, not wanting the driver to hear her.

"Huh?" Izuku turned his head to look towards her, with one eyebrow buried, and another one raised up. He looked a bit tired, though given all the painkillers and drugs he'd been given as part of his recovery, Mina wasn't surprised. "Sorry… I didn't catch that."

"The paper." Mina pointed to it with her free hand. "What's on it?"

"Oh." He paused for a moment before holding it closer, so Mina could read it. "It's a thank you letter. From Kota."

"Kota? That edgy kid from the lodge?"

"I… I'm not sure if I'd use the same word to describe him as you did, but, yeah, that's him." Izuku laughed gently, before handing the paper to his pink girlfriend.

While she had guessed that Izuku saved that kid from the way that he'd brought him to Aizawa, Mina knew little about the exact nature of his rescue. "You're gonna have to tell me about what you did to save this kid sometime."

"When we're alone…" Izuku muttered. He seemed to be falling asleep slowly now that his only distraction had been taken away from him. He already knew that the moment he had to get out of the taxi, he was going to be wide awake, especially by the time he reached his and his mothers apartment, but even so. Mina's shoulder was warm. Like a pillow.

Kota had written an extremely blunt letter of thanks, to put it mildly, though Mina could tell he was sincere. From what little she knew about the kid, he had just been an angry kid. To be fair though, he had every right to be angry. Still, it was the most definitive feature about him that she could remember about him, and how he talked about Izuku. How he'd pushed aside everything that Izuku had tried to say, and tied to make him stop and leave him alone. Seeing this letter made her smile a small bit. It was like he'd come out of his shell. Just a little, tiny bit.

She didn't know what he did, but Mina knew that he was a Hero through and through. She had no doubts that he'd gone to every extreme that he could to hep Kota. Actually, now that she thought about it, that had to be where his broken bones had come from that night, didn't it?

He'd put himself on the line like that for pretty much anybody, wouldn't he?

That was just the kind of person Izuku was. Selfless, and willing to break himself over and over just to save one person, no matter what happened to him. That was why he was in such a broken state now. Why he only had one arm explosion left in him.

That was what made him a real Hero.

Mina smiled gently, and rested her head on top of his.

"It's pretty scary about what happened to All Might, isn't it?" The taxi driver asked, making meaningless conversation with Inko to pass the time as she waited for the green light to appear, to give her the go ahead to pass onwards.

The older Midoriya nodded, though she felt her voice shake a little. "I-It really was…"

"I was with my nephew and brother when it came on TV. Don't think I've ever heard the little guy scream at a TV screen as much in my life, trying to support All Might on."

"I can imagine. My son practically idolizes All Might."

With a quick quirk of the eyebrow, the driver then pointed towards her two passengers in the back with her thumb. "Speaking of, I think they're both catching flies."

When Inko turned to see what she was talking about, she saw that both Mina and Izuku had fallen fast asleep, Izuku's head comfortable between her shoulders and her own head, both their fingers still intertwined. Mina's mouth was hung open slightly, thanks to the angle they were both positioned at. Both looked so calm and peaceful, thank it would be a shame to eventually wake them up.

Inko felt herself smile. She had been about to ask them what they wanted for food once they got home. Not wanting to disturb them for even a minute before she had to, she quickly decided that take out seemed like the best option, pressing a few keys into her phone as she called up an app for ordering.

* * *

"…You should call someone at your house."

Mina let out a small sigh, and put the phone down on Izuku's desk, and leaned back into the seat she sat on. Izuku was right, and she knew that he was. Showing up tomorrow without a word and just expecting everyone to side with them was just idealism. Especially after not even speaking to them for over a week. They'd either be worried sick, or beyond furious.

Her choices hadn't been the best in the last couple of weeks. She knew this. She'd made dumb choices, emotion fueled calls, and just been an idiot in more areas than she cared to admit. Just getting Izuku back had been at the forefront of her mind. Little else had mattered to her. She hadn't been able to think about anything else. And she felt like she knew why.

Izuku was her first boyfriend, and she loved him to bits. But the issue with that was, she had held on too tightly. She didn't have a frame of reference for when to cling on tightly or when to loosen her hold. These last few weeks, she had a tight grip on him, wanted things to go a certain way. She had wanted to make sure that things had been just right, and how she felt they deserved to go. But that hadn't worked. It made her feel like she was obsessed. And when things didn't go the way she wanted them to, like with Bakugou…

She let out another sigh. Things went badly. That was the result of holding on too hard. Thing would go bad, or wrong, and she wouldn't be able to hide her frustration, even if it came from a place of honest good intent. She wanted to be better. She knew she could be better. Izuku deserved better. And she was going to loosen her hold. She trusted him, above everything. She wasn't as good at this as she let on.

It was why she agreed with him now. "…I know you're right. Guess I'm thinking about who to call. Or hoping they'll call me."

"What… What did you even say to them last time you spoke?"

"…It wasn't exactly pretty." Mina admitted, awkwardly glancing towards one of the many All Might posters that cluttered Izuku's walls. "I uh… I basically told them they had no idea about the first thing regarding Heroes, called Micha a coward, and told them to get lost."

"I – I thought you and Micha got along really well?"

"We normally do… But the guy can be kind of over-protective of family sometimes. He sided with Mom and Dad about sending me away from Yuuei. Apparently, they'd already looked into places like Shiketsu." Her hand curled up into a small fist. "…You know my feelings about that."

Izuku nodded slowly, biting his lower lip before he spoke. "…You…. Your brother always struck me as being a pretty rational, open person. Maybe if you just talked to him…"

"…That makes it harder, y'know?" Mina let her eyes fall to her phone, and could swear that she could feel it pushing her way from her. "…Micha's always been a good guy to me. More like a friend than a brother. He drives me up the wall sometimes, but…" She let herself smile softly, remembering various antics from their childhood. "…You kind grow close to someone who has a Quirk like yours. Especially if you're the Mutant of the family. It doesn't bother me much anymore… But when I was a kid, my skin and eyes and horns really bugged me."

The green haired boy didn't say anything. He remembered the night they had their first kiss, and the things Mina had said to him then. He remembered her quiet insecurities, that only came up quietly once every so often.

"…Then you had a brother like Micha, who didn't give a damn. He was awesome. Helped me get over that first wave of anxiety when it came to my mutations. I think he's part of why I'm so alright with them now. I remember seeing other Mutants when I started going to school, and I got used to it… But for the first few years of my life? Micha was there. And he's been there the whole time. Making sure that we were all okay. Being a good brother…"

Her eyes fell to the floor.

"And I call him a coward just to shut him up because I didn't want to hear it."

"Mina…"

"Meltdown's a really powerful Quirk. Anything he touches, it just melts, even if it isn't supposed to melt. Metal, rocks, paper, plastic… People. His Quirk is awesome. And he wanted to be a Hero when he was younger. I always thought that he'd be a second year to my first year. That I'd know people 'In high places'… When he came back from the trial though, he looked really happy. I thought he'd passed…. He didn't. But he was still cheerful, like it wasn't the sort of thing that he'd been looking forward to his whole life. I didn't get it until I took the practical exam myself… Those robots could be kind of horrific, couldn't they?"

She didn't need to explain anymore.

"…Being a Hero isn't for everyone. I know that." Mina said, looking to Izuku. "But Micha learned that the hard way. And even though he didn't become a Pro… He still stuck by me and supported me. And I called him out like that… I don't know if I even deserve his help. And even if I did… I don't know if he'd want to help. And I wouldn't be able to blame him."

He drove her insane. He teased and joked and embarrassed her. He got on her nerves and he was downright capable of screwing her over at times. But Micha…

Izuku was an only child. He'd never really even thought about what things would be like if he had a sibling. So many different possibilities existed there, especially if that sibling had a Quirk. He suspected that he would have been a lot less lonely throughout his childhood, but alas, he had grown up a single child. So he couldn't really say what it would be like having a brother, or a sister. He didn't know what that was like.

So what could he say to Mina now? What could he say, when he didn't know what the situation was like? He hadn't even been there for Mina's call. What right did he even have to comment on it? Could he even really offer any advice worth heeding?

No. He couldn't. He couldn't claim to know what was going through Mina's head, or even pretend that he knew what the best thing to do in this situation was. Nothing he could say could really be taken as anything other than the second guesses of someone who wasn't familiar with the world that Mina inhabited.

All he could do was offer her his support.

He stood up from his bedside and made his way towards her, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and offered her a soft smile of encouragement and support. It wasn't much, but it was really all that he could offer her. "…I… It'll be fine. I'm sure of it…. I - I don't understand much about having siblings… But if he wanted you to leave Yuuei because it was too dangerous… Then, to me… That sounds like he really does have your best interests in mind. Even if you disagree…"

Mina's hand reached up to her shoulder and placed itself on top of Izuku's, and she let herself smile gently again, as well as taking a deep breath, and then exhaling. She took another look at her mobile phone. Micha's number was in her list of contacts, just waiting to be called. She took another deep breath.

And hit the dial button.

It rang for about ten seconds, and for a moment, Mina thought that her brother wouldn't pick up.

" _Mina?"_

She'd never been gladder to be wrong in her life. Her grip on Izuku's hand tightened. "…Hey, Micha."

" _It's late. What's going on? You alright?"_

"I'm… I'm fine, thanks. Mostly tired. It's kind of been a long day."

"…How's Midoriya?"

"He's awake." Mina glanced towards her boyfriend as she spoke. "I'm at his house right now."

" _Oh, thank God."_ She could hear her brother letting out a loud sigh of relief, and the sound of him collapsing onto his bed in the background. The clattering of plastic could also be heard, more than likely from game controllers hitting the floor. _"The news hasn't said anything about him for the last week. Most of the attention's been on Yuuei."_

"I guess they'll report on it tomorrow, now that we're out."

" _You need me to come pick you up?"_

"…Do you even know how to drive?"

" _Well, we ain't gonna know unless I try, are we?"_

The comment actually elicited a laugh from Mina. Even in this sort of awkward back and forth, her brother still found a way to crack jokes. She let out a laugh – A good, hearty, out loud laugh – For the first time in a while. She could hear her brother also chuckling on the other end, apparently proud of his joke and of making his sister break down into hysterics. Izuku remained ignorant of the joke, but he was able to smile at the sight of his girlfriend losing her mind over a small, dumb joke.

A lot of the tension had suddenly just died. "I really don't know where, how, or why you make these things up, Micha."

" _It's all created in the vast boiling point that is my brain."_

"That explains both everything and nothing."

" _Just as was intended."_

"I'll bet you've missed having an audience that actually laughs at your crap, huh?"

" _Kind of."_ Micha's tone became a lot more serious suddenly. _"It's been… Pretty quiet here to be honest. Mika and Mara hang out now, and I'm stuck with Mom and Dad trying to figure out… What happens next… We got a message from Yuuei today._ " Mina felt herself freeze. _"They said All Might is coming to discuss you staying at Yuuei."_

"…Yeah. All Might and Izu's mother had the same talk in the hospital today."

" _And?"_

"He's still attending."

" _Damn. After what happened to him?"_

"Yeah."

A brief pause. _"…It's kind of funny, don't you think?"_ Micha said. _"Normally its parents having to fight like hell to get their kids to go to certain schools, or they'll go to teachers to try and figure out some sort of deal to keep their kid attending… I think Yuuei is the only school I've heard of where the school will actually fight like this to keep its students attending. Skin off the waters back for most places."_

"…Most schools don't deal with Villain attacks."

"… _No. No they do not."_ Micha let out a small sigh. _"…You are dead set on staying at Yuuei, aren't you? There's no way I'm gonna change your mind."_

"…Nope."

"… _They've got cool hats at Shiketsu."_ Micha chuckled, just the once, at his own pathetic attempt at persuasion. _"…You were right about me, you know."_

"Huh?" Mina blinked in confusion.

" _About what you said. About me and... Attending Yuuei."_ The older Ashido let out a sigh. _"Seriously. If I were trying to get into Yuuei with a Quirk like mine… There's no way I woulda failed, is there, let's be honest. Meltdown is a pretty damn strong Quirk, and… I always feel guilty about not pushing past everything and doing the best I could… But that… That world just… It's not something I think I can deal with."_

Mina hadn't ever thought less of her brother for not pursuing Heroism. Even if his Quirk was powerful, that didn't mean that he was require by law to pursue a field in that sort of area. What he wanted to do with his life was his own deal, and no one else's at the end of the day. People might not try out for Heroics for any number of reasons. People might decide the world of Heroism isn't for them. And that was fine.

"…You didn't have to go after Heroics if you didn't want to."

" _I did want to… But It's not a world I think I can live in. I couldn't even get past the freaking entrance exam because I didn't wanna go anywhere near those robots. How pathetic's that?"_

"Micha – "

" _But that's my problem. Not yours."_ He spoke a bit louder now _. "And you shouldn't have to deal with my crap because I didn't go to Yuuei. You were right about Mom and Dad too. None of us really know what being a Hero is like. You're the first person in our mess of a family that even tried out for it. We shouldn't speak for you… Might be harder to convince Mom and Dad of that though."_

That was no question going to be a far tougher fight. Logic, reasoning, and everything else would probably be out the window with them. Mina was their daughter, and they could present all the diagrams in the world that proved that she would be safe and that no harm would come to her, and it wouldn't matter. Because the faith in Heroes had been eroded too many times, and they weren't just about to send their daughter off to a Hero school to live with Heroes. It wasn't because they were selfish or bad people. It was the opposite. They cared about their daughter, and just wanted her to be safe.

The worst part was that Mina couldn't even disagree. Yuuei hadn't done a whole lot to convince any parent really that they were fit to look after their kids. It wasn't Yuuei's fault, but they'd take the blame. They always had to. She couldn't even imagine the fights that the rest of her classmates had needed to go through to attend the school still.

"… _I'll help."_

Mina blinked again. "Huh?"

" _You're gonna fight like mad to stay at Yuuei anyway. If I can't stop you, I might as well help you. I'll admit that I don't really trust Heroes anymore, but I'm sure not gonna stop you from becoming one. So, I'll help. However I can."_

"A-Are you serious?"

" _When am I ever not serious?"_ A pause. _"Don't answer that."_

The pink girl laughed, mostly not even from her brothers joke, but from the sense of relief that she was suddenly feeling hit her like a tidal wave. She felt Izuku's hand leave her shoulder, presumably to check on something with his mother, but she didn't need the comfort anymore. "Seriously, Micha, you're the best. Just, ever."

" _Of course I am. I'm me."_ Mina could swear that she could hear him grinning _. "So, you're gonna be here tomorrow then, I'm guessing."_

"As soon as All Might tells us to head there."

" _I'll talk to Mom and Dad now. See if I can try to sway their heads by tomorrow."_

"You're the best."

" _Yep, yeah, let's hear it for me, the alpha Ashido."_

"Don't push it." Mina chuckled.

" _Pushing it's fun though! What's the point of having it if you're not gonna push it?"_

Mina could feel her brain whirling to find a quick response, but she was interrupted by a gentle tapping on her shoulder again. She glanced over, and saw Izuku, pointing towards the door. He gave her a quick, one word answer to what he was trying to tell her. "Food."

"Got it." She nodded, then turning her head back normally. "Micha, I gotta go. Some actual food is here."

" _As opposed to all that fake food that people normally eat. Like Mika, and her regular consumption of plastic bananas."_ Her brother snarked.

"I've been living off of sandwiches and vending machines for a week. I'd like actual sustenance."

" _Fair enough."_ Micha chuckled at his last joke once more. _"I'll see you tomorrow, Pinky. I hope it goes well."_

"Me too."

* * *

Mina hadn't ever felt more intimidated by the sight of her own neighborhood.

She had lived here for the majority of her life, or at least the portion that she could clearly remember. She had vague memories of her previous household, but that was it. This was where all her memories actually had come from, where she had grown up, played, and knew like she knew her own hands. It was peaceful and quiet, especially compared to the rest of the city. As they walked, she could see children from the Akayama family playing on the pavements. She'd only ever really known them in passing, but the sight of a kid with two sets of wings, and one with feathers instead of hair, was entirely recognizable.

Peace honestly felt slow to her right now. It was why the days sat by Izuku's bedside had been a blur. A blur that just kept on going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going, and going and going, and going, until it finally, finally, finally ended. She had no idea if it was the side effect of being in constant fighting all the time, or from the trauma of her injuries. Or maybe she was just used to the constant hustle and bustle that was Yuuei.

The days would go back to normal once she had stuff to do. She hadn't ever looked forward to school work more in her whole life.

Still, she could appreciate the general tranquility of her surroundings. It was a relatively nice day without any wind, but a pleasant breeze that was warm against her skin. Aside from the Akayama children playing, it was nice and peaceful too. Calm, and quiet.

Her own street had an entirely different feel to it.

Instinctively, she grabbed hold of Izuku's hand. It was all in her own head, but it suddenly felt colder, and more serious. The silence suddenly became deafening. And she could swear that the buildings were taller than she remembered. Or had she just not noticed beforehand?

"You're okay." Izuku told her, squeezing her hand and offering her a smile. "It's alright."

She allowed herself to blink and let out a small sigh. Her mind cleared itself, and she took another look around. Nothing had changed. It was just in her head. Apparently she was a lot more nervous about this meeting than she had thought – And she had thought she couldn't get any more nervous or anxious as it was.

A small smile crept onto her lips. "Y'know, I thought I'd end up having to be the one to look after you. Not the other way around."

"We wouldn't be a team if we didn't watch out for one another." Izuku said, echoing his girlfriend's sentiment back at the hospital. "We'll get through this. We'll convince your parents to let you stay at Yuuei, and then we can work on getting better… Or, at least as best we can."

"So, we _won't_ work on becoming Heroes?" Mina laughed gently. "Who are you, and what have you done with my Izu?"

Izuku just let himself smile.

It didn't take them too long from then to finally see the outline of a skinny man that was now the public face of All Might exit a vehicle that had been parked outside the Ashido residence. He looked solemn, in the way that teachers always seemed to look when there were serious matters to attend to. Maybe stern was a better word. Mina didn't really know what she would use to describe the look on the former Pro's face. It was like he was resigned to this not going smoothly.

"All Might!" Izuku called out to his teacher when he saw him. He would have run up to the skinny man, had he not been holding Mina's hand.

"Midoriya." All Might seemed to forgo the over familiar nicknames, due to his mothers presence. "How are you feeling?"

The green-eyed boy took a glance towards Mina, and then a glance towards his right arm. He seemed to struggle to find the right words to articulate his feelings right now. Like Mina, he wasn't entirely certain about how he felt, given everything that he'd been through. The boy had been though so much…

It took him a few moments, but he answered with a small smile, and his fist held up just gently in front of him, almost like he was showing off his scars. "I'm alright."

Even in his state, he still did his best to follow All Might's ways. Mina felt her hand squeeze his again.

All Might nodded, and offered a smile of his own, clear pride on his lips to anyone who knew the familiarity between the two. His head turned gently, to look at Inko, and then towards Mina. "Ashido, are you feeling okay?"

"About as good as I can be, I guess." Mina said quietly, putting on a much smaller, but still present smile. A smile which faded when she looked towards her own house. "Not looking forward to this though…"

"An understandable thing to feel." All Might nodded. There was a moment of silence as they all looked at the Ashido household. Of course walking into what you knew was going to be a fight with close family was going to be intimidating and nerve wrecking. Like a child who had stayed out past their curfew and hadn't been answering their phone.

Just knowing that there was going to be a fight here was unsettling enough. Normally, Mina could guess her parents well enough. She knew how they acted and how they thought… But this was the first time she honestly hadn't been able to hazard a guess. Would they be furious at her for how she had acted? Would they be calm, or would they not want to even consider a discussion at all? Had they already made up their minds?

Micha hadn't reported back anything from the previous night. No texts and no calls. Not even anything in the morning. If that was a good or a bad sign, Mina had no idea.

"This is where you live, Mina?" Inko asked, standing like she was absolutely amazed at the sight of the Ashido residence.

"Yeah." Mina remembered Izuku having a similar reaction. She suddenly wondered if his mother had ever lived in an actual house before, or if she'd resided in apartments for her whole life.

There was suddenly some movement from the curtains on the second floor that Mina noticed. Just a sway, indicating someone had been watching, but had left before Mina had spotted them. She recognized which room it was as well.

Her parents'.

"…Here we go then." She sighed.

She could have sworn her house wasn't so tall when she left it last.

* * *

 **It's a pretty short build up chapter, but I think that it came out pretty well. There isn't really a whole lot more to say about it.**

 **While I want to take a look at the trauma these kids have gone through, I don't want that to become the focus of the story. I still want fluff, and there shall be plenty, and I will be very happy to give all of the fluff, so it's a bit tricky figuring all of that out.**

 **The Ashido conflict is something I've had planned in my head for months now, so to finally be getting here will be a lot of fun. I hope you managed to enjoy the chapter.**

 **I'd also like to give a shout out to DominoMags – I've mentioned them in the past, but It bears repeating – Domino does some awesome stuff, and they're a really damn good friend of mine. I do back and forth with them, and some of their ideas are amazing. A personal favourite for how unique it is right now is Meet and Greet, which looks at the… Less good side of Kirishima (and why our collective opinion of him has drastically lowered. Bottom line – He's kind of a hypocrite, and yes, I'll be calling him out in AE too. Without tearing him to shreds) and plays with him dealing with guilt, and getting together with Tatami from the Provisional Licence exams arc. A really fun and refreshing look at the character, with present Izumina, and a story in which the characters don't just praise Kirishima all day for… Some pretty messed up stuff. Another favourite is their "Love me like a reptile" series, which is Jirou and Setsuna Tokage from 1B focused – Another rare pair which they've fully sold me on. I love the dynamic and how they portray Setsuna – She's freaking hilarious.**

 **We do back and forth and we share a lot of the same ships - Can't recommend the dudes work enough – Check them out, I implore you.**

 **Until then guys – I will see you next chapter – See ya!**


	58. Dogeza

Mina shouldn't have been surprised that the very first thing that her mother and father did when they saw her was hug her. As tight as they possibly could manage without breaking all of her bones. Her family was always close. She should have expected it.

But she just hadn't been. She didn't know why, but it caught her completely off her guard.

Her mother had been the first one to hug her. It had come just a few moments after Mina swore that she had seen the curtains being moved from her parents' room. The group hadn't even moved, not taken even a single step towards the front door, when it flung open, and bolted straight for her daughter so fast that barely anyone could even see her move with their naked eyes. One second, she was in the door-frame. And the neck, she had pulled a stunned Mina into her embrace.

She couldn't see, but she knew, knowing her mother, that tears had to be in her eyes. She got her own emotional side from her side. This was the same woman who couldn't watch any film that was even remotely sad at any point, even if she had seen it about seventeen times.

The next thing she knew, her father was also wrapping both of them into a hug. She had at least been aware of her mother's approach – Her father, she hadn't had even the first clue that he was about to show up, which… She wasn't sure if she should have been impressed by or not. He wasn't exactly an easy to miss guy, yet she hadn't even slightly spotted him.

"I was so worried about you…"

"M-Mom…"

"Are you okay, Mina?"

"D-Dad, I'm… I'm fine. I'm alright…"

"What about your injuries? How are they?"

"Uh… More or less healed…. Got a scar though."

They didn't even seem to give even the slightest care that their daughters boyfriend, what they could only guess was his mother, and the Professional Hero that was the talking point of the entire globe was right in front of them. They were just overcome with unbridled joy that little else seemed to matter to them.

It took Mina a few moments, but she did eventually return her parents embraces. She had missed them too. Despite knowing what was going to go down, she wouldn't claim that she hadn't missed them, after all was said and done.

Izuku, Inko, nor All Might said a word. They all allowed the Ashido's to just have this simple moment. It was needed, more than anything for them right now. They'd been apart for so long, while their daughter had been exposed to danger… They had, in a way, been exposed to a parent's worst nightmare. Their child not coming home after danger had struck. The only difference was, they were lucky enough that their daughter had come home.

It wasn't any wonder that they were going to hold onto her now.

One For All's current inheritor couldn't stop himself from smiling gently. The open displays of affection the Ashido family showed to one another was different to the ways he and his mother showed one another that they cared. Most Midoriya emotions were expressed through tears. But the Ashido family were such a loving group that their interactions with one another were heart-warming.

No one really kept track on how long Mina's parents hugged her, but once they finally let go of the Acid Quirk user, Mina's father turned her attention towards Inko. "You must me Midoriya's mother." The larger man held out his hand, offering Inko a handshake.

Inko accepted. "That's right. I'm Izuku's mother, Inko. Izuku's spoken about you all a lot." Mina could see Inko's surprise at the appearance of her parent's. Neither had the multitude of Mutations that Mina herself had. She couldn't blame Inko for her reaction at all. Izuku had had the same reaction when he met them for the first time.

And she'd be the first to acknowledge the lack of a family resemblance.

"Oof!" To their side, Mina's mother had suddenly pulled Izuku into a warm hug of her own, almost choking the poor boy in the same way that she had almost coked her daughter. She had been fond of the awkward, freckled teenager since Mina first brought him home, and she was just as worried about him as she had been about Mina.

"I'm glad to see that you're okay as well, Midoriya. We were worried sick when we heard the news."

"Th-Thank you… C-Could you p-please let me go - "

"You will receive the Ashido hugs of relief and you will enjoy them."

Mina managed to smile at the sight, actually allowing herself to laugh gently at her boyfriend's fluster and awkwardness. It was a light-hearted moment that made her forget about a lot of the stress that had been involved heading here. It made everything feel calmer, like the internal demonization she'd inadvertently made of her parents and their reactions to everything had eroded and gone. She still knew this wasn't going to be pleasant, but it wasn't going to be the shouting match she had feared it to be.

Attention eventually shifted towards both parents speaking to All Might, as was to be expected. The man was a Hero, and was practically immortalized as such as this point. There wasn't a soul who didn't know of his name, or hadn't at least seen the news broadcast of what had happened in the Kamino ward. More importantly now though, he was here as a Yuuei representative. The man was here to try to convince them to let their daughter, whom had only just now returned to them, go off to live in a school that had done, in the eyes of the public, a worthless job at protecting their students.

"…Do you think it'll go well?" Izuku asked as he approached hid girlfriends side, gently leaning forward to get a better look at the expression she was making.

Mina just sighed. "I don't know…" Her eyes glanced towards her feet, and she gently bit the inside of her lower lip. "Maybe this would've been easier if I'd at least come back to show them I was okay while you were in the hospital." A brief pause, during which she blinked and realize how that had sounded. "I – I didn't mean…"

"No… No, I get it." Izuku smiled gently. He understood what she meant entirely. She was as human as anyone else was. There was a limit to how much one person could take.

"I just… I didn't wanna hear it. Not while you were still knocked out." She sighed again, this time for shorter. "Might not have been my smartest choice now that I think about it."

"We'll convince them." Assured the slightly taller teenager. "I promise."

He couldn't promise that, and both of them knew it perfectly well. There was no way of knowing what would happen, and no way to tell if it would go north or south… They'd try though. They would try their best. Still, hearing it was reassuring. And a small part of her did manage to believe it too. He'd achieved far crazier things than this.

The pink girl glanced over her shoulder. Her parents were still talking to All Might, no doubt a lot of things that they needed to say before the actual discussion went underway. She wasn't sure what they were talking about though. Still, knowing her family, they had a fair bit they needed to say before they would actually be ready to discuss the major issue at hand.

"Come on." Mina said, raising her voice so Izuku's mother could hear too. Then, she raised her voice louder, to everyone around could hear her. "Hey, Mom, Dad, I'm gonna take these two inside. Set 'em up in the living room."

Her father seemed to be in the midst of conversation with All Might, though her mother gave her a thumbs up and a nod, showing that she had heard her daughter. She was still curious about what was being said between her parents and the former Pro, but she had a feeling that she was going to learn soon enough.

"Follow me." Mina said to Inko. The older woman looked slightly intimidated by the size of the house, but she followed her son and his girlfriend inside.

"You have… Quite the home here, Mina." The older Midoriya's voice shook slightly as they walked into through the front door, and she caught a glimpse of the interior for the first time.

"We sorta have to. I've got a lot of siblings."

As if it were on cue, a sudden head then popped over second floor railing. "Pinky!"

Micha. Mina didn't even need to see her older sibling to know that it was him. That damn nickname was all that she needed. Her head tilted upwards, and there he was, already making his way down the stairs to greet her face to face.

"Hey." She put on a small smile. It was good to actually see the guy again. His blond hair was messy as ever, and Mina got the distinct feeling that he hadn't washed it since she had seen him last, and there were bags under his golden eyes. He hadn't slept. "Dude, you okay? You look worse than I do."

"My sisters just been dealing with her boyfriend being kidnapped by Villains while she herself thought it'd be a great idea to go after the guy while All Might wrecked up an entire ward fighting another Villain who also broke u the whole ward – I've been just fine!" Micha spoke with a certain tone in his voice that made him sound like he was on the verge of breaking into insane laughter. There was a big, Ashido smile on his lips as he grinned.

"You've… Known about that for over a week now."

"Yeah, well, I've been practicing my insane smile all week and I'll be damned if I don't use it." Micha smirked, and then dropped his act, returning to his natural speaking voice. It wasn't until then that he noticed that behind Izuku, was another person. "So… I'm guessing you're her plaything's mother?"

"Hey!" Mina blushed. Izuku went red at the same time.

Inko seemed to lightly as well, before glancing at both lilac and red teenagers respectively, before taking a step forward. "That – That's right, I'm Izuku's mother."

"Good to meet'cha. I'm Pinky's brother. Names Micha." Like his father had done, Micha offered his hand for Inko to take, which this time, she accepted faster, and more readily. "Your kid's a good one. Turns out Pinky has good taste in something."

"W-Wait." Mina said, suddenly covering up her eyes with her hand, before peeking over the top. "Did you just introduce yourself with a rhyme?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." There wasn't any hiding the grin that he was so intentionally trying to wipe from his face.

"Micha. Meet'cha." Mina repeated, slowly raising an eyebrow as she spoke. "Have you seriously been rehearsing your introduction to my boyfriend's mother?"

"No."

"You have, haven't you?"

"I am a pure and innocent soul who has never done anything - "

"Okay, if you're gonna say that, at least say it with a straight face."

"Are they.. Always like this?" Inko asked, turning to her son with a look of confusion as the two continued going back and forth.

"Yeah. It's in good fun though. I – I think." The banterous nature of the Ashido family still made Izuku conflicted in his feelings of things, but he had grown to slowly accept it, and know that this was just how they were. "This is just how they are."

"I'll go grab the runts. Let them know their sisters home." The older Ashido pointed behind him with his thumb as he spoke. He turned to the two Midoriya and offered them a much sincerer smile than his normal one. "Make yourselves at home, and… Sorry about the mess in the living room."

"The what now?" Mina blinked.

"You try distracting those two while they're worried sick." Was all Micha said as he turned heal and made his way back up the stairs.

Once Mina stepped foot into the living room, she understood instantly what her brother had been talking about.

Video game cases and controllers were pretty much everywhere, thrown aside and without much care whatsoever. Some games were left strewn over the floor, out of their cases, while other cases were just left open, even with their games still inside. The game system itself had been hooked into the main TV, still left on, on a pause screen.

"Yikes." Mina muttered, as she took a quick scan of the room. It was like a bomb had very specifically the games shelf. "Uh… Watch your step." She warned, taking a few careful steps into the room herself. She knelt down by a small pile of games and decided to have a quick look. "eighteen, eighteen, fifteen, eighteen… Micha's been going through all the games those two really aren't supposed to be seeing…" It had been a general rule that, in spite of Mika and Mara's protests, the older Ashido weren't to let them see or play any games that they weren't old enough to see. That rule would be forgone when they were fifteen, which was when her parents decided that they would be mature enough to handle anything they saw on a screen.

That rule had apparently been thrown out the window. And Mina felt she could understand why. Her siblings were gamers, and so was she to an extent. And with her gone… Showing them the things that they really weren't supposed to be shown would be a good way of keeping them from pestering their parents with worrisome questions.

It had been bad for them, hadn't it? Somehow, this hit her harder than any hug of any tear.

Signs of how they had tried to deal with her being gone, to distract themselves from the situation… This struck her more. These games were supposed to be fun. Something told her that they hadn't had a whole lot of fun with them.

"Here, let me help." Picking up a disc and quickly locating the box, Inko began to clear up a small part of the mess that was near Mina. Izuku did the same, helping to sort of some of the wires and controllers that were flung along the couch.

Initially, Mina thought to protest. This wasn't their mess to clear up. If anything, it was hers, since she was the reason that the room had ended up int his state. But, she knew that they weren't going to take no for an answer, so she just smiled gently, and cleared up a section of open covers herself.

* * *

The sudden arrival of Mina back at the Ashido household was met with nothing more than joy from her two youngest siblings.

It had only been a little under a couple of weeks since she had seen them. Roughly around twelve days, but with the way that they had charged into the room, one would have thought that this was the first time they had seen her in years.

Mika was by far the more open about the worry that she had felt. Upon seeing her older sister, she didn't say anything, or even wait for Mina to fully acknowledge her again. She just instantly ran up to her and hugged her, grabbing her as tightly as she could, like if she let go for even a second, her big sister would be teleported elsewhere. Maybe this time for good. With her head buried into the upper portion of her chest, Mina could have sworn that Mika was trying to hide tears.

As predictably as the sun rising in the morning, Mara quickly tried to play off his concern as indifference, trying to act all cool like he wasn't even bothered by his sister's disappearance. His language was as flippant as ever, only stopping himself from outright swearing when he noticed that there was an adult in the room and that it could get him into trouble. There was a slight waver as he spotted the scar on Mina's hand, though he didn't allow himself to show anything he didn't have to.

Though his façade quickly fell apart when she joked that she would leave right then and there. He looked like for all the world that he was about to burst into tears. She gave him a hug to make up for it.

While Mina had always been closer to Micha, by no means did she lack a bond with her younger siblings, even if they drove her up the wall. She loved them dearly, and she was glad to be around them again. It was one of the first times in her memory that she had seen such a complete emotional breakdown from either of them.

Both were young, and still in the developing stages of their childhood. Mara barely even understood his own Quirk, and Mika was only now just becoming aware of the world around her. To hear that their sister had been involved in something as dangerous as a Villain attack was no doubt going to be a shock to their systems. No one could blame them for getting so worried.

This was what it was like for Heroes families back home. This was their reality, every day. It certainly made Mina pause for thought.

Micha had decided to make some tea for everyone, leaving his younger siblings to their own devices. Both of them had taken to just remaining sat on Mina's lap, talking to Izuku in bits and pieces. They seemed to be ever so slightly wearier of him, no question because of what he'd been through.

Their parents were still outside, still talking, and at this point, whatever they were talking about was anyone's guess.

"They're… Certainly taking their time, aren't they?" Inko said quietly, twiddling her thumbs against one another as she spoke.

"Mom and Dad'll talk your ears off all day if you let them." Mina said, patting Mara on the head gently. "They're not exactly great at condensing information."

"What would they even want to talk about?" Izuku asked.

Mina paused for a brief moment, before she shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe they wanted to thank him for the Kamino ward." Neither had been there personally, but somehow, everyone felt like they had to thank All Might as though they had been personally saved by him. He was, after all, the reason that so many lives were saved, and taking down a Villain as strong ads All For One.

Him being a direct reason why Mina and Izuku had gotten out of that mess alive certainly didn't hurt matters either.

"Hey, Midoriya?" Mara tilted his head towards the green haired boy. For a kid, he certainly knew how to give someone a look and a half. There was more a curiosity in his voice, though Izuku couldn't place it.

"Yeah?"

"You… Did you get any scars?"

Morbid curiosity. That was it.

Izuku blinked and paused momentarily, quickly glancing towards his mother from the corner of his eyes. She had seen the one around his wrists, but not further up his forearms and bicep. She hadn't seen the full extent of the damage.

He was struck with momentary silence as he tried to figure out what he should even say to the kid in front of him. The scars weren't even something he himself liked to think about right now. Lying though, wasn't something that he was particularly good at, or even wanted to vaguely do in any way whatsoever.

"…Y-Yeah." He spoke honestly, the only way that he really knew how to. He wouldn't be able to hide them forever, and he had no intention of doing so anyway.

"…Can I see 'em?"

"Mara!" Mina's response was instant, firm, and sharp. "You can't just ask people that! Izu might not be – "

"It…. It's fine, M-Mina."

These wounds were a part of him now, and he had to live with them for the rest of his life. Every single time that he looked at them, he was going to be reminded of that one mission, and that one failure, forever. And those who looked at him in the future were going to ask him about them.

Suddenly, Izuku found himself wanting to show them. Kids were often curious, and they were always going to ask questions. Questions about their Quirks. About where their father or sister was going. About what being a Hero was, and what it meant. He didn't want to lie. Not about what happened when one was in the line of duty when he became a Hero.

It felt like it was important for him to do too. To fully acknowledge that the scars were a part of him, that they weren't something that weighed him down. He was already slipping into that sort of mindset, which was something he desperately wanted to avoid, Mina had been the one who had said it herself.

He wasn't alone. And hiding his injuries… They weren't going to go anywhere. Being comfortable with them would end up being the fastest way of regaining his comfort with his own body, wouldn't it?

Then again, wouldn't it horrify Mara and Mika? Mara had asked to see, sure, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was equipped to deal with that sort of thing. Scars could end up nasty, and his certainly weren't a sight for sore eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was scare them…

He wasn't ashamed of them. But he wasn't proud of them either. They were just there, as offensive as they looked. It was a weird feeling of conflicting neutrality that just didn't make any real sense.

"…I-I can show you if you want to… But, they're not exactly fun to look at." Really, a warning and a chance to back out was probably the best compromise he'd be able to make.

"Izuku, are you sure that's a good idea?" His mothers worry carried through into her voice without any sort of restriction. "Wh – What about your… The thing they gave you?"

"Not that one." He said almost instantly. "I… I don't…. I don't think it's a good idea to remove that." He knew that she was refereeing to the cover for his burn. Getting that one off would honestly just be more trouble than it was worth, so he decided against showing off the burn.

Rolling up his right sleeve, he showed off the forearm, littered and scattered with all sorts of scars and cuts. He'd had bad ones before, but now they were numerous. Far larger ones, and smaller ones that seemed to just highlight had bad the rest of them were. His right hand was still as crooked as it was since the Sports Festival, but it looked more beat up somehow.

All things considered, Izuku knew that he was actually insanely lucky. In any sane world, he would have lost his arm, but through sheer luck, his arms were still working for him. And he thanked every conceptual deity that there was out there for that.

He couldn't keep going like this though. Not with his Quirk on the verge of destroying him. There was no way that he was going to keep getting this lucky. He needed an alternative way of using his power.

Mara and Mika seemed to not know how to react to the markings that were covering Izuku's arms. Plentiful, and certainly painful, but somehow, they seemed like they had expected worse, but still somehow understood the gravity of the injuries to leave permanent reminders. Exactly what it was that Izuku had gone and done during the sports lodge wasn't entirely clear to the public. No one who didn't know him and the secret of his Quirk would ever know that he had done this to himself, with his own power.

Inko's eyes seemed to twitch slightly at the sight of her son's injuries in better lighting than a hospital room. They were clearer, and far more prominent. If he ever wore a T-shirt in the streets, people were going to notice with ease. In this world of Quirks, scars weren't something that were uncommon. Injuries and fights involving Quirks were common, so it wasn't like these were going to turn heads. They weren't exactly all that easy to look at either.

"…Did they hurt?"

"Of course they hurt." Mika nudged her brother almost immediately after he finished talking. "Don't be dumb."

It was an innocent question that a kid who wasn't aware of what he was looking at would ask, but to Izuku, it almost made him want to burst out laughing. "Uh, yeah. They uh, they did hurt… Quite a lot."

"He wasn't exactly gonna draw them on with crayon, Mara." Mina gently chuckled, unable to completely hold back her amusement at the question.

"Get lost." Mara muttered.

Izuku let himself smile. Just a small smile. "These…. They're just injuries. Injuries that I managed to get better from. Scars aren't necessarily always a bad thing. I'd…" He glanced towards Mina, and then to his mother. Finally, his eyes landed back on his injuries. Injuries, as he'd said before, he couldn't bring himself to hate. "…It's better to have lots of scars than to suffer something worse."

Losing the arm. Getting crippled. Dying. Scars were fr better in every single way that he could think of. They were like reminders. Reminders that he had fought.

Reminders that he'd survived.

"You handle them well, Midoriya."

As he had spoken, the door had opened itself up, and after a long conversation, Mina's mother and father finally entered the room, followed by All Might's skinny form. Just as the door had begun to swing back, All Might reached out to hold it open, as Micha came in with a tray, several serving cups, and a pot of boiled water with tea leaves. He bowed his head gently to the former number one Hero, looking slightly intimidated by him, even in this form, and placed the tray on the table in the center of the room.

It had been Mina's father who had spoken up, and as he stood in front of both of the teenagers, a look of mild confliction written all over his face, Izuku couldn't help but feel his heart hit against his ribcage.

Somehow, he already knew.

The lackluster expression All Might had all over his face guaranteed it. There barely seemed to be any sort of life on any corner of his face. It was so unlike him that it was haunting. They didn't even need to be told that it wasn't looking good right now. It was all that he could focus on while Micha hurried Mika and Mara out of the room before the conversation started.

"We've just spoken with All Might…" Mina's mother seemed hesitant to say anything knowing how important this was to Mina personally, but torn between that and her desire to be a good parent, and to keep her safe. Her hands joined together, and she bit her lower lip. Her tell-tale signs that she knew that this wasn't going to be an easy discussion to have.

"I'm going." Mina spoke calmly, and clearly as she could make herself speak. "I'm not giving up on going to Yuuei."

She had been adamant on this from the moment that she even applied to enter Yuuei. That she wanted to go there, to learn from the best teachers, at the best school in the country. She had done everything – Everything that had ever been asked of her, pushed herself as hard as she could, and she had earned her place.

Now, she had personal reasons for wanting to go. The workload was tough, and she was stressed nearly every second that she was there, but she loved being there. She had all her friends there, people she now struggled to see going through the journey to Heroism without.

She had Izuku there. And she wasn't going to give this up without a fight.

"Mina, this is the second time all the students got caught up in a Villain attack, the third time that both you and Midoriya gotten wrapped up in things you're not supposed to be dealing with yet, and the fourth time Midoriya's been in danger." Her father spoke as calmly as she did, listing off the numbers like he'd rehearsed this speech a thousand times. He didn't sound angry, or demanding. The most evident trait in his speech was worry. "The number of attacks from Villains is increasing, and the students always seem to be the ones that are caught in the crossfire… But. you're not a Hero yet. You're a student for God's sake – You shouldn't have to deal with Villain attacks."

"The USJ shouldn't have happened, but you still let me go after – "

"You ended up in _hospital_ this time!" Her father seemed to immediately snap. His voice rose as he forgot entirely about the restraint that he was supposed to be showing. "And Midoriya got kidnapped! You ended up in a hospital bed while we were running around trying to figure out if you were still okay! We haven't even seen you since – And you ran off to rescue Midoriya without eve telling any of the Heroes what you were doing!"

All Might spoke up. "Were it not for their interference, and how they gave me a chance to exploit my opponents opening, it's possible that I would have lost."

"As a citizen, I respect you, All Might, I really, really do. We went over this… But look at things from our perspective."

"The only reason that we let Mina keep going to Yuuei after the incident at the USJ was because of how she told us that you fought to keep all the students safe." Her mother said, prompting Izuku to remember the first night that he met the Ashido family.

"Back then, it was the first time this had happened... Ever, I think. At least at Yuuei." The Twin Bull Quirk user lamented. "The Top Hero teaching my daughter, I was certain that she'd be safe… But after this?"

Back then, All Might was still a Hero. Back then, All Might still had his Quirk. Back then, it had just been a one off

"I… I understand your concerns."

For the first time in the conversation, Inko spoke up.

"Believe me, I understand how you feel… B-But think about these two." Her hand found itself on her son's shoulder. "I understand wanting to protect you daughter… But that would separate the pair of them, after everything that they've just been through…"

It was the first moment either parent seemed to flinch, but they quickly shook their heads. Had they actually even stopped to consider how this would affect their child's relationship, or had they been more focused on her just not being put in the line of fire? Not that anyone would blame them for wanting to make sure that their daughter was safe above all else, but it was certain to be an enormous issue for the two of them.

"I don't want them to split up, but they don't both have to attend Yuuei to keep up a relationship – "

"Are you joking?!" To this, Mina outright stood up onto her feet. Her hands were held at stomach height, open palmed and clawed. Frustration was the key emotion at play, mixed with disbelief. "D'you know how much work we get on a daily basis? We barely get any free time as it is!"

Hadn't they ever seen the number of books she had brought home with her from the average school day?! she was more confused than anything else at this argument.

"Y-Yuuei's workloads are heavy." Izuku stated, though he wasn't as loud or vocal as his girlfriend's exasperation was. "We have to manage our Hero studies in addition to the rest of the standard subjects. I-It's a lot of work…" It wasn't as much of an issue for Izuku, since he had his work ethic since he was much younger, but if they weren't both at Yuuei, it would kill most of their chances to meet up with one another.

Pangs of guilt hit the Ashido parents.

"…I'm sorry, Mina." Her father said, quietly. "But… I don't have any faith in the Heroes at Yuuei anymore. I just… I can't…"

"Dad, you…"

"…I can't risk losing you again, Mina."

This was hard on the kids. Of course it would be. It went without saying that Izuku and Mina had been dragged through Hell and back because of this insane series of events…

But it had been just as bad for their parents.

It still amazed Izuku that his mother was willing to let him attend Yuuei without a fight like he had expected her to, yet she was willing to just let him go, even though this had to be as hard on her as it was for him and for Mina. Even after he had come so close to not coming back at all…

Their argument that the workload wouldn't separate them was weak, and to an extent, Izuku suspected that they already knew that it was. But they weren't thinking about that. They weren't thinking about anything other than making their daughter safe.

He couldn't blame Mina's parents for wanting to keep her safe. In a way, he was able to respect it, and actually felt thankful that she had such caring parents who were willing to do whatever it took to keep her safe and out of harms way.

…But still.

Mina looked like she was on the verge of tears, though she refused to let them fall. "I can't – I just got Izu back, you can't just – "

"Mina."

Izuku spoke calmly. Far calmer than anyone else had been throughout this entire debate. His eyes were hidden behind his green and black locks of hair, and his lips curled downwards. He was still, suddenly.

Very still.

"I-Izu?"

Without a single word, Izuku got onto his feet. Quickly, he inhaled through his nose. "Mina… I… It doesn't have to be Yuuei. At least, that doesn't matter to me."

"Huh?"

"The only thing I care about right now is making sure we go to the same school. If it's Yuuei, then great… If it's not, then that's fine too. Anywhere is okay. To me, anyway."

Izuku had spent years yearning for the chance to go to a school like Yuuei. He had spent so many Quirkless years reaching out to a fantasy while the rest of the world and their incredible Quirks walked right on by him, sneering at him as they attended schools and courses that he could only dream of. He had achieved one of the things that he had always wanted…

And he was willing to give it up, just like that?

Just for her?

"I-Izu, you can't…" It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair to him. "You – You can't – "

"But…" Izuku turned towards Mina's parents, the pair of them looking right back at him. They were somewhat surprised by his sudden willingness to abandon Yuuei if that was what it was going to take to stay with Mina. His loyalty and devotion was something to be admired.

That though, wasn't even the half of it.

He took one long, deep breath, exhaling loudly, and then looked up at them.

And then, he fell onto his knees.

Every single pair of eyes in the room were on him as he bent his back and placed his forehead against the ground, entering the dogeza bow. Stunned silence as Izuku performed the single highest sign of apologetic respect and the humility of what he was about to say.

For a moment, he needed to collect his thoughts, figure out exactly what it was that that he wanted to say. The idea of what he wanted was in his head, but the words…

…They ended up tumbling out on their own.

"… You don't have to trust the Heroes." Coming from him, it almost sounded like his words weren't his own. Anyone who knew him for less than a tenth of a second knew how insane those words sounded from him. "I…. I understand. I get why people wouldn't trust Yuuei any more… And, I can't ask you to trust in Yuuei either. Not with everything that's happened."

He understood why so many blamed Yuuei. He certainly didn't agree, but he understood.

"You're… Worried about Mina being safe… I am too. After everything that happened… I don't want to see anything happen to her ever again."

"I…Izu…"

"Midoriya?..."

"I… I can't… I won't ask you to trust in Heroes. I… I can't do that… But… It's important to Mina that we keep going to Yuuei… So… I'm _begging_ _you_ …"

Were it any more possible, his head buried itself further into the floor below him.

"...If you can't trust the Heroes, _please_ … Trust me. I promise, I… I'll make sure nothing happens to her. I'll… Make sure that she'd safe. I'll stay by her and I won't let anything happen to her."

Mina wasn't a person who _needed_ to be defended. Izuku was more aware of that than most. Mina could handle herself. But he wanted to be there. He wanted to make sure that she would be safe. They were a team. And teams looked after each other.

He'd done it before too. He'd protected her when she needed it. Hell, he'd done everything he could – Which hadn't been a lot, admittedly – Against All For One himself. These weren't even empty promises. These were promises he was more than willing to risk his life to fulfil. He was, of course, willing to risk his life to protect anymore that needed to be rescued. But to Mina, he felt something different. Almost like it was a sense of duty.

And her parents needed reassurances. And he couldn't think of a better one than that.

Silence came down again. Total silence. Inko and All Might both looked absolutely gobsmacked. It could almost been seen as an overdramatic action by Izuku, how far he was willing to bow his head and submit himself just to try to keep Mina at Yuuei. It was asking a lot. Of anyone in their situation. Still, her parents looked like they suddenly had no idea what it was they wanted to do now.

Yuuei constantly faced Villain attacks, while other schools didn't. That was because the school was targeted specifically, while others wanted. They had some of the best Pro's protecting it in the country, and while they failed, would another school do any better?

And this? A desperate plea from someone who thought the world of their daughter?

"There's not really a lot of Heroes that I trust anymore."

Micha's voice. People's heads turned to the source of it – The doorframe. How long had be been stood there? Had he been listening in once he'd taken his siblings out of the room? His arms were folded and his eyes were firmly on his parents.

"Micha?"

"…The only Hero I do trust to look after Mina?" He nodded his head. "He's literally bowing to you

Mina's mother looked at her father, and for a few moments, nothing but silence existed. It spoke a lot about their relationship that they seemed able to communicate without even needing to speak to one another at all. Looks that conveyed everything any parent would feel, from fear to apprehension, to honour and to honest bewilderment.

"Izu, come on, get up." Mina for one, didn't feel like just sitting around while her parents had another silent conversation between one another. She quickly made her way to her boyfriend and knelt by him, tugging gently at his shoulders. "You don't need to go this far."

"I've done a lot worse than just bow to someone..."

"I know, and you're insane." She joked very lightly, still pulling at his shoulders. "Dude, you've… You've… Just, you don't need to…"

"...Okay."

Both Izuku and Mina looked up. "Huh?"

Her mother had her hand covering up most of her face as she spoke, like she was in utter disbelief that she was saying any of this, but she bit on her teeth and forced herself to talk. "..I said, okay. I…"

"We're going to trust Midoriya." Her father said, much quieter than he had been throughout the rest of the conversation. "To be honest, I still don't like this… But…" He blinked, and sighed. "It's like Micha said. The Heroes wouldn't go as far to protect Mina as Midoriya would… And I'm willing to trust him."

To be entirely honest, what happened next was a blur that Izuku wouldn't remember. A blur of sudden cheers and hugs and tears and whatever else happened. He didn't know. It all happened so fast, at once, so quickly, that he simply didn't have the mental willpower to separate incidents form one another. He remembered being stunned that they had convinced her parents, and that they were willing to put more trust in him than they were in any Pro Hero.

What he did remember was the laughing and the enormous smile that Mina had on her face throughout. The pure, unbridled joy that went throughout her entire system. He remembered that she hadn't ever looked so happy, bar a few moments that hey had spent together.

He had gone through Hell and come out the other side, scarcely even able to protect himself. Were he being honest, he didn't know if he truly could look after Mina.

But he knew that he was willing to risk everything to do the best that he could.

* * *

 **God this is late.**

 **This chapter was... very, very difficult to write, and there was more of it than i expected. I've been doing a lot of uni work lately, and getting into my drawing a lot more, so I've been slower with this update than usual - I'm really sorry about that guys.**

 **The dogeza bow, for those of you wondering, is the same bow All Might gave Izuku's mother in that chapter. It's a Japanese high sign of respect, and I wanted to incorporate it here. I've had this chapter planned out for months, and I hope i've done it some justice. (I'm so sorry)**

 **It's been a busy few weeks for me, but Uni is nearly done for my first term, so maybe it'll get easier?**

 **Either way - I do hope that you've enjoyed this chapter!... I didn the best I could. I'm tired. I'm sorry. Either way, I hope ill see you again next time - We're finally returning to the dorms!**


	59. Our New Home

Most of her life was in boxes now, and Mina honestly wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about the fact. Excited? Nervous? Terrified, or happy? Her room had never looked so barren, and just about everything essential was in boxes now. Most of the walls now no longer had any posters or photos on them. There wasn't anything colourful or… Really Mina, left in the room anymore.

It was her room, and it was always going to be her room – No matter how much Mara insisted that he was going to claim it when she left – Yet it felt so alien to her now.

She wanted to leave. She had fought to leave, and because of Izuku, she was now able to leave.

But she couldn't help but feel sad about it.

Which was normal, she supposed. Anyone who was leaving home for the first time was bound to feel at least a bit upset. This was where she had grown up after all, and had spent a lot of her life. This room was her own space in this house. This house where her family was.

Feeling this way was impossible to avoid.

"This is the last box, Mina." On the balcony outside her room, Izuku had been assisting her in moving everything out, and packing it all into the moving trucks Yuuei had sent. "Are you coming?"

She'd just taken a moment to look back on her room, to take one final glance before she left and returned whenever she got the chance to. This certainly wasn't going to be the last time that she ever saw this place again. Not by a long shot. She was certain that she was going to visit all the time. Get chances to spend the night in her own bed again. Torment, and be tormented by her siblings. Deal with the messes that her parents got themselves into.

She wasn't leaving forever…

But still.

"Mina?" Izuku poked his head through the door, and noticed her. It took him a couple of seconds, but he seemed to realize what she was doing. He immediately took a step back and took a sharp intake through his clenched teeth. "O-Oh. Sorry. I… Do you need a moment?"

Izuku was going to be at Yuuei, and he was the reason that she was even getting to leave this place. She should be happier about it. To not be, after Izuku had spoken so fiercely for her, and done what he had done for her… To not be happy, to not be exited, it felt wrong, almost. Like she was just being so incredibly selfish that she didn't even have the words to describe it.

The pair of them had spent the night here, and while falling asleep, Mina hadn't felt any of this feeling of apprehension, or emotional murkiness. Come morning though, she was in a different mood. A different frame of mind. A… She didn't know.

She just…. Needed a minute. "Yeah, Izu. I'll be down in a bit."

Her boyfriend gave her a soft smile, and left, making his way down the stairs with the final box full of stuff. If there was one thing that Izuku was, it was understanding, and Mina couldn't help but be grateful to him and everything that he did for her, all the time. She probably owed him more than she ever owed anyone in her life. He was a good guy, and nothing was ever going to convince her otherwise. She loved the guy, after all.

Now she was going to get to live in the same building as him. She should be happy. Nothing but happy and excited.

A small sigh escaped her lips though. She wasn't. Well, she was happy about it. But she wasn't. And that made her feel bad. But excited. She didn't know. At this point, she wasn't even making any sense anymore, and didn't know what she felt.

Was feeling a pang of sadness here selfish? Or was she just really overthinking things?

"Yo, Pinky, we're all set." Micha's voice.

The pink girl blinked a couple of times. "I – I thought I told Izuku that I needed a bit."

"He said you needed a minute. It's been exactly sixty seconds."

Mina sighed, and couldn't stop a small smile making it's way onto her face. "You know, I'm not sure if I'm gonna miss that or not."

"You'll miss me and my bullshit every second of every day and you know it."

He wasn't wrong. Micha's antics and jokes always brought nothing but a smile to her face, and humor to her day. The pair of them drove one another up the walls in the best ways possible, and she was going to miss this quick-witted bastard of a brother she had.

Her quick-witted trickster with a heart of gold bastard of a brother. The best friend that she'd had for the majority of her life.

"I… I don't think I ever said thanks, for helping me and Izu, I mean." Mina's tone became sincerer. This wasn't really a subject that they should be joking about, after all. "Yesterday, with the whole' pushing our parents to let us go to Yuuei' thing."

"I didn't exactly do anything." Micha responded, shovelling his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "He's the one who literally begged Mom and Dad to trust him."

"I know, but still. I think you helped push them over the edge on it."

"I guess." Micha shrugged, his expression neutral more than anything, like he wasn't convinced of his own importance in the way that things had gone. When all of his jokey ways were stripped from him, he was actually capable of being rather humble. His hand ran through his messy blond hair, scratching at his scalp as he continued to talk. "Still, there is a guy downstairs who, in the short time he's dated you, is not only willing to put his life on the line for you, but go that far just so you can keep going to whatever school you like, including dropping out of the top Hero school in the country just so he'll get to spend time with you outside of classes."

When put that bluntly, it made Mina blush gently. "I… I guess…" When she stopped to think about it, she and Izuku had only been dating for a short while. Barely even half a semester. Just a few months.

And yet, here they were, and they were as close as they were, in such a comparatively short space of time. She'd often heard that only husbands and wives would ever be willing to go that far for one another. Mina never really believed in the idea that people had to know each other for a certain amount of time before they could care about one another so much. She and Izuku were proof of that.

Still, when she stepped back to look at it…

"…You two are so going to get married."

Instantly, her gently blush exploded into a full lilac shade all over her face. On pure reflex, her eyes widened, and she turned to look at her brother, unsure if she was going to push him out of her room, or if she wanted to throw a fist at him, or anything else. "H-Huh – "

"I demand front row seats to everything. " Micha paused, smirking. "Except the bedding ceremony. You two can enjoy that on your own."

"Good to know you're not a voyeur at least…" Exasperation and embarrassment mixed in with Mina's weak, sarcastic, waverly response. Her lips were uneven, unsure if they were trying to smile in amusement, or frown in fluster. It was rare that she felt that way, and yet her brother was so quick and readily able to make her feel both.

He knew exactly what buttons to hit and when. He was clever like that.

"…Yeah. Definitely not gonna miss that part..."

"Give it three weeks and you'll be phoning me up every day for someone who can dish it out as well as they can take it." Her brother offered her an Ashido smirk before he stood upright. "C'mon. Time we got you to Yuuei. Midoriya's waiting for you."

Mina felt herself smile. Somehow, things felt better, and less depressing than they had a few moments ago. Maybe she had just needed a short while to laugh before finally saying goodbye.

One final scan of the room, and then she nodded.

"Right."

* * *

"There's... Gonna be a lot that we're gonna have to talk about when we get there, huh?"

Izuku looked towards Mina, an eyebrow raised up, before he came to fully understand her meaning. Once he did, his eyebrow lowered, and both symmetrically burrowed into his brow. With everything going on surrounding just making sure that Mina could keep on attending Yuuei, he hadn't really spared much thought as to what was going to happen once they got there.

He looked out a window, watching as the passing traffic went by. Some in the same direction as them, others in the complete opposite way. Buildings went past, all in a blur, so he couldn't really focus on any one thing. Both had made a beeline straight for the back seats, so they wouldn't be overheard, but honestly, Izuku didn't really know what to say.

In their talks, updating him, catching him up to speed with what had happened while he was the League of Villains' prisoner, Mina had confessed to telling all but admitting Izuku's Quirk wasn't his own, but someone else's, transferred to him. Thankfully, they didn't know it was All Might's, but still... It was going to create questions.

A lot of questions.

Mina sighed, and felt herself sink into her seat. Her chin tucked into her chest, and her hands flopped to her sides. "It's my fault. I'm sorry."

"It... It's nothing that we can't fix." Izuku said softly, though he was dealing with his own worries and doubts about the situation himself.

One For All was supposed to be a secret. That was what All Might had told him, to protect him from people who wanted to steal the powerful Quirk. There was bound to be so many people out there who wanted a Quirk with such destructive power as One For All for themselves, and whatever means that they had to go to in order to achieve such power, those who wanted it wouldn't have a limit to how low they would stoop.

They were lucky, all things considered, that it was just 1A that had learned the truth. There wouldn't be anyone in their class that would want to steal his Quirk for themselves, would there?

Even if there was, it wouldn't transfer without him wanting it to – Something he would never do. Not until the inevitable time to choose his own successor came.

Didn't mean that he had any idea how everything was going to work out now that his secret was out. All his life, he'd been bullied, ridiculed, and had all of his dreams dragged into the dirt because of his inherent lack of a Quirk. At Yuuei, he'd found acceptance, friends, and people who didn't care about any of that.

Now that they knew about his origins, was that going to change? Were his high school days now doomed to be just like his middle school ones? Was he now looking at another two and a half years of seclusion, exclusion and weird glances from people?

"If you're gonna say that, at least say it so you can convince yourself." The Acid Quirk user joked gently with the smallest of smiles, which inadvertently made her boyfriend feel both good and lousy about himself at the same time. Her eyes glanced towards his face, before falling back onto the ground. "It's my fault. I'm the one who blurted everything out to Baku... Togo? Is that what her name was? The transforming Villain?" Everything had gone down so fast, Mina struggled to remember some of the names of the Villains. They weren't really names she wanted to commit to memory anyway.

"Yeah." Izuku nodded. "Toga Himiko." A small shiver went up his spine. If there was one name that was going to make him feel cold at the mere mention for a while to come, it was going to be hers.

"Her. I blurted everything out when she disguised herself as Bakugou and said that in front of everyone. I... I wasn't in the best state then." She honestly felt rather embarrassed, thinking back on it now. How she had reacted, and how viciously she had tried to attack BakuToga. How she had lashed out and not been able to control herself, or keep herself calm.

She liked to think that she had learned from that... But the damage was done now. It was far, far too late to make any changes to what had happened now.

Izuku had trusted her. All Might had trusted her. Both of them had put their faith in her, and revealed the secrets behind Izuku's unusual Quirk, and entrusted their secret to her. Izuku would be more forgiving. Of course he would... But All Might?

Neither of them could know. Mina had spilled one of the world's biggest secrets to not only their class, but to the Villains too. Granted, their class didn't know One For All had come from All Might, but the Villains certainly would do. Then again, then again, with All For One leading the Villains, they might have already known anyway.

One For All and everything surrounding it was confusing.

All Might hadn't said anything back at the hospital, or when they met again to speak to her parents... But did he even know? And even if he had, both times, more pressing matters, like just making sure his successor was alive and well, were more important to the Pro Hero.

"...What d'you think All Might'll say?" She finally asked, turning her head to look at him. Her voice was low – It had been low this entire conversation, though she made efforts to make certain that there was no chance she wouldn't be overheard. "I mean… You guys trusted me, and I kind of…"

"I-I'm sure it'll be fine." Izuku's response was quick, and assuring. Like he needed the same reassurances himself. Mina wasn't a mind reader, but with him, she didn't need to be. His expressions of worry were all over his face. "To… To be honest, I imagine he's already heard about it by now… B-But… I guess that means there's a bigger issue to worry about."

Their classmates. Mina nodded gently, and felt her hand suddenly reach and grab hold of Izuku's, tightly, like on instinct. If they all knew, All Might had probably heard about it through them. Maybe one of them had asked about the possibility of transferring Quirks, or just felt the need to inform him of things. Still, it didn't do much to alleviate much of anything for either of them. "…Man, I'm glad you weren't there to see how I chewed everyone out…"

Of all the things she regretted, that had to be a big one. How she had lashed out at all her classmates, how she had said such harsh things to them, how she had virtually dismissed all of them, and called them cowards for not being as emotionally invested as she was. How she had acted wasn't excusable, even in her particular circumstances.

She knew they wouldn't hold it against her. Uraraka, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu didn't seem to. Somehow, that made her feel worse though. Because really, she deserved to be called out on it, and be shunned for her actions. Even if she had a bigger emotional investment, even if she was one of the ones suffering the most out of this situation, it didn't make what she had said and done okay. It didn't make how she had treated her friends okay.

"I…. I'm sure if you just… I – I don't know…" Izuku hadn't been there. He didn't really know how things had gone down, so he couldn't really say with certainty. Still, he knew his classmates, and he knew how everyone at Yuuei was. "..I-I'm sure if you apologize, they'll forgive you…"

"Yeah… I know, but I still acted like that." She sighed. "It's not exactly my proudest moment." She was still ashamed of how she'd acted. She wasn't going to pretend that she was anything but ashamed at how she'd acted. The only thing she could really do was try to be better in the future.

Izuku didn't say anything else after that, feeling it was better than Mina figure out what it was that she wanted to do about it on her own. Giving her the answers, answers that he himself didn't even have anyway, certainly wasn't going to help her find the closure that she clearly needed.

Before Mina could say anything else, her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket, letting her know of a notification she had just received. She took her hand from Izuku's, and reached into her hoodie, and hit the unlock button on the side. It was from Hagakure, and was a text that was – Filtering out all the emoji's that she used – a question about how long it was going to take for them to arrive. Apparently, their teachers had been around to the dorms to inform them that their classmates were finally going to show up today, and 1A was eager to see the two of them again.

"It's Tooru." Mina held up her phone to show Izuku before he could ask who it was from. "She says everyone's looking forward to us arriving."

Honestly, it did feel kind of good to know that they had been missed. It put a dumb grin on her face that she couldn't quite get rid of. She'd missed her classmates as well, more than she had actually realized, it turned out. She'd hardly spoken to any of them since leaving to rescue Izuku, and only been in sporadic contact with Uraraka and Kirishima. She missed their class. She missed being able to just goof off with friends.

She missed the way that things were before the lodge. Before everything went down.

Would they get the chances for thing to be just like that again? Or would things always be different now?

Both her and Izuku still had to deal with their experiences, and learn from them, and learn how to deal with them. To recover. Still, when she thought about it, it wasn't like her experiences had really affected her day to day life. During the events, certainly… But she hadn't had anything like a panic attack, or seen shadows in the shape of Villains, or anything else like TV and movies had said she should be suffering from. Even the staff at the hospital said there wasn't any certain trauma, but they should take it easy for a while. To let themselves mentally recover as well as physically.

There was that hope though. Maybe they could just go back to how everything had been. Maybe they could just learn from it and move on.

Maybe. If they worked at it.

* * *

The truck containing all of Mina and Izuku's things arrived a short while before Izuku and Mina actually had themselves. Mina's mother was the one driving, and she certainly hadn't been happy when another driver had cut her off at one of the traffic lights, so she ended up getting separated from the moving truck. It had then fallen down t Izuku and Mina to guide her there based on observations that they had surrounding the school themselves.

While it had taken a bit longer, eventually they had found the main gate. For a while, no one was actually there, and they had to await a member of staff to actually let them into the grounds proper. Normally, they would not have had to, but because of their separation, they had to, just to be safe.

Yuuei was past the point of taking any chances anymore.

"It took you two long enough to get here."

When the staff member placed on duty came up, both Mina and Izuku blinked. None other than Aizawa had been sent to check that everything was in order.

There wasn't any doubt that it was because he was their homeroom teacher. Every single precaution, no matter how small or minor it seemed, was being taken anymore. Izuku even suspected that the dorms were in place to lower the chances of anyone being able to sneak into the school facilities.

Still, despite the reputation that Aizawa had within their class, Izuku and Mina both couldn't help but feel something that bordered outright joy at the sight of a – reasonably – friendly face for the first time in a long while. "Aizawa-sensei!"

"You know this man?" Mina's father turned his head over his shoulder to look at his daughter, like he was making sure himself that he wasn't about to place her into the care of people they didn't even know.

"Uh huh. He's our homeroom teacher."

Mika blinked. "Aizawa – Wait, your homeroom teacher is the Erasure Hero?!"

"Yeah. I've told you that before, haven't I?"

"This is the first I'm hearing about it!" Micha commented.

"Then you don't listen very well, melt boy."

The homeroom teacher shrugged, clearly not too interested in being recognized by members of the public. Instead, he made a gesture to Izuku to lower his window down, which he did. He then leaned down o her could see his student. "Midoriya. How did the recovery go?"

"I, uh…" Izuku blinked twice. He couldn't tell if the Erasure Hero was interested because he wanted to know if Izuku was going to be virtually useless in classes from now on, or if he was genuinely concerned about his student. Or both. Still, he held up his arm to show the scars. "I uh, th-the doctors said I shouldn't go full power again for a while… But I'm okay otherwise. I just need to get used to using my arms again…"

Aizawa seemed to notice Izuku's mother flinching again at the sight of the scars. He also took a moment to inspect them himself. "Yuuei'll get a full medical report before the end of the day. If you're feeling up to it, we'll put you in classes tomorrow."

Izuku nodded. "Yes sir!"

The scruffy adult stood upright again, and then glanced at the three adults. Both Mina's parents were in the front, and Inko was in the middle row, along with Micha and Mika and Mara, both of whom were on one of their elders laps respectively to make room in the car, so Izuku and Mina could sit in the back.

He then pressed his staff ID against one of the scanners on the wall, which then deactivated the Yuuei defense grid, metal seeming to disappear into the ground below.. Pointing towards the new buildings on the campus, he spoke. "You'll spot the truck if you head that way. Got a big 1A on the front. Their luggage is already unloaded and being transported to their rooms."

With a handwave of thanks, Mina's mother followed the instructions that she had been given to an exact letter, quickly locating the truck that had evaded her on the highway. There were two of the drivers, apparently having finished moving all of the things into both Mina and Izuku's rooms, and were pulling up the ramp back into the containment unit itself.

By the time that Mina's mother had parked up, the truck had already left.

"Oh wow, it's huge!" Mina practically pressed her face up against the glass of the car as she observed the enormous building that was to be 1A's home for the next couple of years.

Yuuei didn't spare any expense, on anything at all, it turned out. The building was enormous, maybe five or six floors in total. It could easily host everyone from 1A, plus maybe even everyone from 1B if they wanted to. But this was all for 1A, and no other classes. This was their own space – And they had so much of it, it was probably too much for just one class.

He certainly wasn't complaining though. The place was like a freaking castle.

"Damn." Micha whistled, opening his car door to get out of the car, and putting his hands on his hips as he looked up. "Yuuei really doesn't mess around, does it?"

One by one, everyone got out of the vehicle, all to say goodbye to both Izuku and Mina. Hugs, ranging from awkward and gently to so tight they threatened to cut off the breathing to their lungs. Words and whispers of goodbyes, and gentle words of affection as they all prepared to part.

For a parent, saying goodbye to their child for the first time as they went to live on their own wasn't ever easy. Mina's parents were a lot better about it than Inko was though, wishing their daughter well and hoping that she managed to enjoy her time there, as well as reminding her to stay safe and away from all of the dangers that they were horrified of her running into. Her younger siblings hugged at her legs, before she knelt down to give them real hugs of their own.

Inko was busy smothering her son in hugs and almost drowning him in tears of her own, as was to be expected of a family as emotional as the Midoriya's were. The mere sight of it honestly was enough to make Mina laugh.

"Here."

Shoved immediately into her hands, was the rucksack that Micha had had thrown over his back since the group of them had all left the house. Mina hadn't really questioned it, because he always seemed to carry one whenever he went out of the house, mostly out of habit at this point. She hadn't actually expected it to be thrown at her like this. It was heavy – Surprisingly so for the size of the bag.

"Open it once you get into your room."

"Why, you loaded this thing up with stuff that'd make Mom blush?"

"A bit. Mostly cause I know you'll try to justify not taking it if you open it now. So just wait until we're gone, yeah?"

Mina smiled gently. "If you say so."

The pair of sibling then ended up pulling one another into a quick, but friendly hug. Micha could be awkward about this sort of thing, and he wasn't exactly the best when it came to saying bye, so he kind of just awkwardly shuffled away, backup up into the car the first chance he got.

Shortly, he was followed by the grown-ups. "You be safe, okay Izuku?"

"I will Mom. I promise."

"Make sure you look after Pinky too, right?"

"I – I will."

"Mina, you know how parents are supposed to say, just be yourself and everything will work out fine?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Try doing the exact opposite of that."

"Love you too, Dad."

"Kick some ass, Mina!"

"Language, Mara."

"Good luck!"

Their exchanges and goodbyes lasted until they were finally out of earshot, and the car had finally exited the Yuuei premises. There was a sudden silence, as both Izuku and Mina felt themselves become lighter and heavier both at the same time, and then looked towards one another.

"So… I guess that's that then, huh?"

"I… I guess so."

Both of them looked towards their new home. "I guess we better let everyone know we're here."

As Mina finished talking, Izuku glanced towards the bottom floor windows. He wasn't sure if to be horrified, or to smile. "I… I think they already know."

* * *

 **So, we're finally getting back to some fluffy and much lighter scenarios, though there is still gonna be a bit of heaviness around the place, just cause of how I've got this planned. The dorms are gonna be fun, I have absolutely no doubts about that. I have a few ideas, and I'm really looking forward to getting them out there.**

 **Now, I don't often promote my Pat reon often, other than just mentioning the fact that it exists, since I just like having it as a tip jar, but, bottom line – Since I'm moving out of uni accommodation and into a new flat, into a place which is nice and also won't get me stabbed at night, but is also pretty expensive, I'm kind of stuck here. I don't normally ask for donations, but if you guys could help me gather up some spare cash for food so I don't starve when I move in, I cannot tell you how much it would mean to me – Obviously I'm not trying to push people towards donating. Everyone has their own different circumstances, and if you can't, that's more than okay, but it would mean a lot to me. Absolutely anything and everything is appreciated – But again, if you can't, I just hope you enjoy my works.**

 **You also could follow me on Tumblr – I'm fairly active on there, and I'm going to be doing some promotional work for my Pat reon and also maybe a Ko – fi if that's more accessible and doable for one donations. Basically, that's where you want to be if you need info one whats going on with me right now. – Life's been pretty tricky lately, and I'm going to explain a bit of it there. It's QuirkQuartz, same as everywhere else.**

 **Regardless – Above all, as always, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter – I've been looking forward to getting these two little shits back to Yuuei for months now, and oh my God the ideas I have! They're gonna be fun! (not sure about the Provisional Licence Exam, but everything else, oh boy!) Basically, get hyped!**

 **And I will see you next time! See ya!**


	60. Reflection

When Izuku opened his eyes, he didn't recognize the ceiling that he was looking up at. All his life, he'd been seeing the same pale greyish colour whenever he woke up and tried to get himself ready to start the new day. He recognized all the patterns where the paint had been slightly thicker when it dried, and to the small cracks that had accumulated over time. And he recognized his lampshade, a lime green colour that covered the bulb that gave his room light. It was just something that he was accustomed to.

The past few days, he'd grown used to waking up to see pure white, segmented by grey, square-shaped supports for a ceiling. He'd had a few days to adjust to that change in the hospital. Somehow that had been easier. A hospital, after all, was a temporary place. People generally didn't stay in a hospital for too long, so it was easier to get used to.

Now, the wall was pure white. No grey hue that Izuku would be able to differentiate. No support patterns that identified it as a hospital room. No cracks, or patterns of dried up paint. It actually took him a while to remember where he was, and what room he was in.

His room. At the Yuuei dorms.

Once he realized this, the memories of the last few days quickly remade their way into the green-haired boys dazed and sleepy head. He was still exhausted, though after the last few days, certainly no one could blame him. It had been a hectic return, and an even more hectic few weeks. Far too much for one person to process all in one go.

Even now, he wasn't sure that he'd processed everything. Part of him was half convinced that it was a half-clear fuzzy dream of some sort. But he knew that it was all true but hadn't processed it all fully yet. He didn't know.

In truth, he hadn't had the _best_ sleep in the world.

But he had gotten some good rest, so he was kind of hovering in between the realms of the waking and the resting worlds. Tired, yet rested simultaneously. It felt like it was early in the morning though, and when he glanced upwards from his position of laying in his bed, he could see the wall behind him. It still looked like it was dark out.

Lazily, he tilted his head to the side, to find out what time it was. As his eyes drifted, he saw bits and pieces of the décor his new room held. Posters and action figures and the likes. Hero stuff. The normal stuff that one would expect to find in his room.

The one thing that wasn't usually to be found in a room like his – Although, given the last few months, one could say it had become a normal part of his room, and it certainly wasn't an addition he opposed – Was Mina.

Laying right next to him, her arm wrapped around his waist, and her head buried into his chest.

A faint blush came across his cheeks, and his blurry mind finally snapped back into focus, and he remembered the events of the day.

He remembered seeing his mother and Mina's family driving off, and the pair of them making their way towards the dorm building. He remembered seeing someone by the window, and he remembered opening the doors to the goliath of a building.

And he remembered the absolute swarm that rushed out of it.

Izuku couldn't help but let out the smallest of chuckles when he remembered everything. All his classmates, his friends, all bolting towards him and Mina, showering them with hugs and words of relief to see them, praise and questions as to their well-being. It was like they were a group of excitable children whom hadn't seen the pair of them for months.

He remembered Kirishima throwing an arm around his neck and cheering something about him being the manliest guy he'd ever met. He remembered Sato trying to force some sort of confectionery he claimed to have made to celebrate their return down his throat. He remembered receiving hugs from Uraraka and what he could have sworn was a friendly smile from Todoroki.

He remembered seeing Hagakure and Tsuyu both hug Mina almost immediately as soon as she walked through the door, like they'd been waiting to pounce her the moment that they figured out she'd be returning. He remembered Kirishima saying something to her, but he didn't know what it was.

He also remembered Iida, waving his hands around in that rigid, amusing style that he had as he welcomed back his friend. Mineta almost looked like he was in tears, while Shoji and Fumikage tried to take the opportunity that they had never gotten to apologize for allowing the kidnapping to happen due to their inability and lack of speed, something he had vehemently tried to make them stop doing.

He remembered Yaoyorozu and Jirou both being there, welcoming the pair of them back, though both seemed to be slightly preoccupied. Perhaps personal things had continued to go on, even though both he and Mina had been gone for the last while. He remembered Aoyama being…. Well, Aoyama, about the whole thing.

He remembered seeing Koda doing some hand signs, to which he roughly translated as a welcome message of some kind. Kaminari and Sero both cheering and taking it in turns to pat the pair of them on the backs.

He… He honestly couldn't remember ever feeling more welcome in his life.

The whole thing was so surreal, he couldn't stop himself from laughing the moment that he finally broke away from the crowd and got behind a closed door. There had been a thousand ways that he'd envisioned everyone greeting them back.

And they had gone for the one that somehow, he hadn't considered. The closest thing to a party that they could all have had blasted throughout the majority of the day. It was fantastic. And no one had asked any questions.

No one asked about One For All. No one asked him about the Quirk that he held onto that was reportedly not his. They just didn't question it at all. Izuku didn't know why they hadn't asked – He had assumed that it would have been one of the first things that he was going to have to deal with when he returned, but no one asked. He didn't know why, but he was grateful to them for it. He had a plan regarding that particular detail that he wanted to go over with All Might first before saying anything.

They all took it in turns to catch the pair of them up on what had been going on since they had been away. A tour of each of the rooms was given, led by Hagakure and Kirishima, showing them around their new home, and everyone's bedrooms. There had been a big tour between everyone, and they wanted to help their classmates catch up on what they missed.

From Sero, they were told that the punishment for interfering with a police officer's duty – Back when Mina and the rest of the rescue team had run from the hospital after the incident with Toga – Had been a weeks' worth of community service to be conducted outside of lessons which had wrapped up just a few days ago. The officer in question had been rather understanding, surprisingly. He'd even praised them for their Heroic attitudes, along with a firm reminder that even so, Heroes weren't supposed to interfere with police business.

As for the rest of them, they'd all just been readjusting to everything. They'd all been worried. All wanted to know when the two of them were going to come back. Now they were back, every single sweet tasting scrap of food had been thrown out, lights and music were thrown on, and as Izuku recalled from earlier, they partied. Or as close to a party as they could get in their dorms, and on short notice.

The only person that hadn't been there was Bakugou.

Apparently, he'd been locked up in his room, and been even less social than someone like him was capable of being in the first place. Normally, Izuku would have expected that Kirishima, or Kaminari to try to pry the guy out of his locked room, but had decided against it now.

When Izuku thought about it though, this was Bakugou he was thinking about. He probably wouldn't want to celebrate his return anyway.

Still, given what Mina had told him… He couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about what was going to happen down that line. Putting that aside though…

Classes started tomorrow again for the two of them – Or rather, the closest to classes that 1A was dealing with at the current moment. Traditional lessons weren't on, but practical lessons were. Namely, the development of special moves, something which had the rest of the class abuzz.

Both Izuku and Mina had been offered time off, but they had rejected it. Now, more than ever, they wanted to get back into the routine of being Yuuei students. Getting back to normal was really the only thing either of them could think about. Just putting this whole mess behind them.

Moving on with their lives.

Izuku shook his head, and tilted his head further, finding what he had been looking for before the memories of the last twenty-four hours blasted their way into his head. A digital clock kept by his bedside. The red lights on it showed the time as 04:47.

Early morning.

What had woken him up? He didn't remember hearing any sounds. Maybe Mina had moved in her sleep. Or maybe it was the wind.

Maybe he was just a bit restless after everything.

During the interval in-between them arriving, and the dorm throwing a return party, Mina had been helping Izuku decorate his room, endlessly teasing him about how much of a nerd he was as she helped him hang up All Might posters and memorabilia. He had been planning on helping her sort her room out, but they had the party sprung on them and decided that it could wait until tomorrow. Hence why Mina was in here now.

She had turned down Mineta's offer of a room switch with her, which he actually took well. It had been a genuine offer out of kindness, not an ulterior motive, at least not one that he had been thinking about, but as much as both of them did appreciate it, they had been through so much by now. It put things into perspective for them.

They were living in the same building. After the whole kidnapping ordeal, they could survive being one or two floors apart.

One of her main reasons though, Mina didn't want to leave Uraraka on her own. She would have been the only girl on her floor, and she wasn't all that close to anyone else there, so Mina decided that it was a good idea to hang around there.

At the foot of his bed, he saw her bag, the one her brother had shoved into her hands before leaving the school grounds. Inside, a games system. More specifically, the newest model of what the Ashido siblings shared at home, along with a few of what must have been her favourites.

Micha didn't mess around when it came to farewell gifts, it turned out.

He also didn't miss an opportunity to mess with his sister and her boyfriend, because, of course, there were… The politest word Izuku had for them were 'prophylactics', with a note saying, 'Because it's inevitable.'

And another one saying 'Think of me. It'll help it last longer.' with a smiley face at the end of it.

 _That_ note, Mina dissolved immediately.

The day had been full of so much madness and joy and excitement and everything in between, Izuku couldn't stop himself from smiling as he remembered it all.

As he smiled, he felt Mina move against his chest, and for a moment, he feared that he'd woken her up. He froze, trying to make his body still as possible.

It didn't take her long to settle down. Mina was usually a very active sleeper, he had learned. But she tended to be more restful when he was around. A small fact that made him smile to himself. She seemed to bury her head against his chest some more, before relaxing into her rest once again.

Mina herself, was just…

Izuku sighed, and attempted to move his left hand – Mina was laying on that, so he ended up using his right hand, and gently ran his fingers through her pink hair.

She was wonderful.

He'd been hiding that in for so long, and if he'd just come out and said it long ago, then maybe the way things had gone would have been different. He didn't think back on that though. Because he couldn't do anything about it now.

Instead, he just thought about her. Remembering the day that he first saw her in class, and not thinking too much one way or the other, having had no idea back then that this was the path that his life would take.

He thought back to the day they first actually spoke, his arms and legs battered, and this energetic girl just striking up conversation whenever he ran into her. How awkward he had been around her, and girls in general.

She had stuck with him throughout all the madness that their first semester at Yuuei had brought about, all the danger and the madness and everything else. Everything that had gone down, she was at his side throughout…

That was probably the thing that made her so wonderful.

One of his scarred fingers ran along one of her natural curls. She didn't have to stick around. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. Given everything, he couldn't help but feel he hadn't been a particularly good boyfriend throughout their time together, and that was something that he really did want to change.

Because she deserved that.

When he looked down to see her closer, – After nearly jabbing his eye against one of her horns – he wondered how on earth he was so lucky to have a girlfriend like her. What had he done to deserve someone so fun, so loyal, so wonderful and adorable as Mina? Was there an answer? Or had it just been fate at the end of the day?

…Did it matter?

Outside a curiosity, was that something he needed to focus on?

No. It wasn't.

Right now, he wanted to focus on doing better. Becoming better. Being a better boyfriend to her, like she deserved. He wanted, above all, to make her happy like she had made him. To know she had stayed with him while he was unconscious, to know that she had joined in the effort to save him at the risk of her own place at Yuuei…

Just… He couldn't repeat the reasons in his own head enough. He loved this girl more than he ever thought was possible. And he wanted to repay her somehow.

That date he promised her in the hospital was one way of doing that. The first chance they got, he wanted to take her on that date.

For now though, he allowed himself to rest into his pillow, and close his eyes. If the school was going to throw everything at them like they normally did, it wouldn't matter if he just got out of hospital or not.

He was going to need his rest.

* * *

 **I know this isn't a particularly long, or exciting chapter, but I've been struggling with this chapter, and I have a few ideas for what comes next. My life has been sort of hectic, and I've been lacking in my writing abilities lately, so I decided that just getting this out was best.**

 **Consider this a filler chapter while I try to find my footing again. I'm sorry about this being the only thing that I've got – Next chapter will be more up to stuff, promise.**

 **Until then, ill see you next time.**


	61. Choice

Traditional classes weren't on the menu for Yuuei students. Just training activities that were assigned to Gym room Gamma, half a day for each class. 1A normally had the mornings, while 1B would take the afternoons. The goal - To create super moves for each student. Something that would give them the edge in a fight, a way to use their Quirk in a creative manner that would give them an advantage.

Though today, those classes were being swapped around. 1B was taking the morning session, and 1A the afternoon. The reasons were basic to anyone who heard about the kidnapping of both 1A students, and the return of one, plus another absent member of the class.

Arriving one day, and then waking up the next day only to be hounded straight into a practical exercise was, to put it bluntly, unlikely to do the pair of them any favors. They still needed time to get used to going back to regular life.

Even if they both insisted that they were fine.

One in the afternoon was when their session would begin. Which worked out well enough, Izuku supposed. It gave both him and Mina the opportunity to start work on renovating her empty room, adding that Ashido flare to the bare, empty room.

Pink. Pink everywhere, with black being the second most common colour used. Somehow it made Izuku laugh just how much of his girlfriends room had two primary colours as she did. It was like when she saw herself in the mirror for the first time, she just decided to roll with it from then on. It was remarkably similar to her room at her house by the time that the pair of them were finished with everything. Were it not for the wooden plank flooring, he could have been fooled into thinking that they were right back at the Ashido household.

Easily though, his favourite part of the new room was the pinboard that she kept above her desk.

Accented with a pink frame, as nearly everything else in this room was, Mina kept a pinboard, crammed full of pictures that she had taken of her friends, printed out, and stuck to the board. She had ones with Uraraka, Jirou, and Yaoyorozu, and a couple of herself, for what he could only assume were vanity reasons - Something he rolled his eyes at. Affectionately, of course, as he said to Mina. Really though, he didn't mind that. It was her board, and she could pin to it whatever she liked.

But the ones that were of her and him - And there were plenty of those on there, pinned onto nearly every single spare inch of surface that it had to offer, were easily his favourites. Silly things, including pictures of him that he hadn't been aware she had taken, selfies that she had jumped him with, even some of the pictures that she had had Hagakure take that day at the Kiyashi ward, before he'd been taken hostage by Shigaraki. It was almost like a timeline of their relationship, in format of physical photograph.

All on display for anyone to see. Memories, and examples of their time together, there for her to see every single day. It would be what she saw when she fell asleep, and, provided she woke up facing the same direction she had fallen asleep in, which was rare, it would be the first thing that she saw when she woke up too.

Something that just made him smile. It was just a tiny little addition to Mina's room, but the fact that she wanted these pictures up like this... It was nice.

It made it easily his favourite aspect of her new room.

"Aaaaand that looks like the _last_ of it." Mina declared, tossing one of the many empty boxes to the side of the room, and placing her hands on her hips, and putting her hands on her hips. A proud smirk on her face, showing off her sense of accomplishment at the completion of the task.

To be fair to her, they had accomplished a lot in the last hour. They had gotten through just about everything in just a single hour. Easily far faster than they had managed to sort out Izuku's room, which might have been attributed to them not having had a full rest, and still having their minds filled up on the day to come.

Now, they were rested, and had been motivated to get Mina's room sorted out.

Primarily, because they needed to sort out the pink girls accomodation, since despite their affection for one another, they did need their own space, and Mina had needed to put her stuff somewhere.

Secondarily, because Izuku had something that he needed to confess to the rest of his classmates. Or, more accurately, less something to confess, and more something that he needed to explain.

"That didn't take long." Izuku absently commented. Were he totally honest, his thoughts were lingering on what he had planned for later in the day. He wasn't one hundred percent there, in that moment.

The pin up board was his favourite part of Mina's room. That went without saying at all. But equally, it reminded him of what today had in store for him.

And further added to his apprehension.

"We just gotta find a place to put the boxes and we're totally finished!"

"Yeah..."

"I guess we can put them in the place they stored them before we got here."

"Sounds good..."

"...That place being, this very room."

"Mm..."

"...And then I thought we could go and throw buckets of paint at Kaminari's room."

"Right."

"You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you."

Izuku blinked and managed to look away from the pin-board and towards his girlfriend, whom greeted him with a slight smirk towards the right side of her lips. He's been responding automatically, his mind filled up with things that just felt more prominent on the list of priorities. Things that were bothering him. That he was trying to figure out.

Mina grinned. "Dude, I know we're adorable, but I didn't think you were that into pictures of us." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down, as if she were insinuating something.

At this point, Izuku was comfortable enough with her that he let himself chuckle gently. "S... Sorry. I've just got... A lot on my mind."

"About the dorms?" His girlfriend guessed, incorrectly.

"No." Izuku then paused. "Well... Half no."

A slight tilt of her head was all she offered in direct questioning. Mina immediately sat herself down on her bedside, and patted the spot next to her with her hand, inviting Izuku to sit by her. She didn't even need to pry and submit question after question. There wasn't even a trace of the distrust that seemed to always hang over them before the , the trust was absolute. She had made the offer, and if Izuku wanted to discuss what was on his mind, he would accept. And if he didn't, she would be there, waiting for when he did want to talk.

In this case though, she didn't need to wait. He was by her side in seconds, sitting by her, and letting out a small sigh. He didn't know how to even begin the conversation. It was something that had to be brought up eventually, but that didn't make bringing up the topic easier.

"...I could use your advice if I'm honest, Mina." He admitted, letting out another sigh as he felt his shoulders slump.

"Go for it, Izu. Whatever you need."

"...It's about One For All."

Mina's own composure broke, just for a single second, and she experienced the same anxiety as Izuku clearly was suffering from. She immediately understood his distraction, and why the images of their classmates on her board had brought this thought around. She let out a small sigh.

One For All. What was supposed to be Izuku's biggest secret was now public knowledge, thanks to Toga, and her own inability to deny the truth when it came hurtling towards her, even if her own life depended on it. Because she'd allowed emotion to get the best of her.

"Everyone knows my Quirk... Isn't, well, my Quirk." Izuku spoke softly and carefully, like he chose his words as selectively as possible.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what any of us expected from someone who registered their Quirk as 'Super Power'." Mina joked lightly in an effort to lighten the mood. That was a small fact that she still found endless amusement out of.

Indeed, even Izuku let himself laugh at her small joke gently, the irony and absurdity of it now clear as crystal now that the secret was out. Hindsight was amusing, at least slightly.

His laughter was brief though. "...Everyone wants to know what the story is."

The pink girl blinked. "What're you talking about? No one asked about One For All at all yesterday."

"Because we just got back. People are curious, but they're waiting until I say something."

"...And you want to say something."

"At this point, I don't see the point in hiding it." He confessed bluntly. "Everyone knows about it... But they're not mentioning it to be kind. But I... I lied to them, for months. And they're bound to want to know what's going on with my powers... And they deserve an answer now that there's no reason to hide anything."

In most cases, his logic was sound, and Mina wouldn't argue - If they were talking about a secret that had little impact on their lives. This wasn't a matter of accidentally stealing a pair of Iida's glasses and being too awkward to return them, or people being curious as to something new that had arrived at the main reception for him. This was a major secret, and would reveal a past that Izuku had wanted to keep to himself since he stepped foot on Yuuei grounds for fear of judgement and prejudice. This didn't have anything to do with logic.

It had everything to do with how Izuku felt.

"You don't owe them anything, you know." She said, frankly and firmly."Toga revealed your secret... And I just didn't stop myself from reacting. Like an idiot. That's on me, but... That doesn't mean you have to confirm any of it."

"There's no point if they already know."

"There's every point if it makes you feel uncomfortable or anxious like this."

"It's not just that." Izuku said, his voice becoming a lot heavier. His eyes closed for the moment as he spoke, and he sighed. "I... I'm tired of lying to everyone."

When it came right down to it, that was easily the worst part about having been given One For All. the lies, to secrecy, the need to keep everyone around him in the dark about the origins on his powers. Whenever someone inquired about his power, pointed out something that he was forced to deny, or even just complimented his Quirk, he couldn't help but feel like he was lying, every single time he accepted the compliments or answered the questions. Even though he wasn't even telling any particular lies at all. He just wasn't telling the truth either.

That was just as bad though, at least to his mind. And it had begun to weigh down on him. Especially after being kidnapped.

Ever since he'd gotten to Yuuei, and made friends with Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, Kirishima, Mineta, Tsuyu, Kaminari, Sero, and everyone else, he'd had to bend the truth whenever they talked to him, to hide the origins of his power. He could rationalize it by reminding himself that it was All Might's request. And sometimes it helped. It made it feel like it was something that he had little to no choice in, and sometimes it made the lines come out easier. Knowing people would never know... That made it easier too.

With the secret out though... He was faced with a choice. Mina was right - He didn't owe them anything. He didn't have to say anything about his Quirk, and what it was... But everyone would know that he'd be lying if he denied anything.

Or he could just come clean. Admit to his power not being his own, and explaining how it worked. Just admit it and face the consequences there and then.

If he were honest, he knew exactly which one he'd rather do. He was damned if he didn't, and damned if he did. If that were the case, he might as well do, and deal with whatever came after that. It was easier.

And realistically, he didn't feel he had much choice anyway. Not if he wanted to retain his classmates trust.

And there wasn't much that Mina could say to change that.

"...What're you gonna say to them?"

"I... I'm not even sure. I'd have to ask All Might if I even can say anything..."

"I mean... It's not like it can get much worse, right? I can't see him saying no."

"He might ask me to not mention that I got my Quirk from him... But, you're right. Hiding that I got my Quirk from someone else... I don't see how letting them know that is going to hurt anyone anymore."

Mina sighed again, rested her head on his shoulder, and snuck an arm underneath his, wrapping both her arms around his right. It was all the comfort that she could think to offer him. She didn't really know what advice he could give to him. His situation was so bizarre, so unique, so... Specific to him, she didn't know if anything she could suggest was worth anything. Did she even really have a place to say anything? Was her advice worth considering?

She knew all about his situation, but she didn't have the first clue about how that had to be for him. She couldn't even guess.

As much as she wanted to help him...

"...You should just do what feels best for you." That was really the only advice she could give to him.

He was in an unparalleled position, and really, the key word was he. Him. His situation.

And how he wanted to go about it was the most important part now.

He didn't have to abide by the secret he'd been sworn to. At least not to the rest of 1A. He could lessen his guilt and his burden, and the results of that would ease him going forward. One less thing to worry about.

Just... Less. Less he had to deal with. And more chances that he could just feel better about himself.

She didn't blame him for lying to her at all. Given the volatile nature of the Quirk, she understood it oh so well. All Might had his reasons, and she understood. But they didn't apply anymore.

He shouldn't be forced to carry on with the lie. Not when he could let just a few people know.

Her mind went in circles as she considered everything. That was all she could think about. This being his situation. His problem. His power. And whatever he wanted to do, she would support him. No matter what. But she knew exactly what option she wanted him to choose.

And so did he.

"...Mina?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to borrow your phone."

* * *

 **It's a bit longer than last chapter but moving back home has been taking up most of my time. Honestly though, I feel a lot better about this chapter. I feel like it's a nice one, at a good cutting off point. Next chapter will look at the aftermath of Izuku admitting the situation to 1A - And I think that's going to be a lot of fun.**

 **I wasn't kidding either - according to the Anime, Izuku's Quirk is registered as "Super Power" which is _the fucking best name possible for this nerd._ I love it. **

**If you want to support me and the stuff I make, I have both a Pat Reon and a Ko - Fi account, both under the name QuirkQuartz. Supporting me there is by no means required, but it's highly appreciated, and I only want you to support me on there if you want to. You can also follow me on Tumblr, for more updates on things that I do, and how stories are progressing.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and ill be seeing you net chapter - See ya!**


	62. The Truth

" _U…Uraraka?"_

" _Oh, morning Deku! How'd you sleep?"_

" _I… I slept okay. I uh… Sorry to throw this on you first thing in the morning –"_

" _It's ten-thirty."_

"… _I need a favour."_

" _Sure. What d'you need?"_

" _I… I need you to tell everyone to meet me in the living space in an hour."_

Somehow, when he said that to Uraraka, Izuku had felt once he was in front of his classmates, things would be easier to say to them. Like the words would become easier to string together the more he spoke. Almost like talking to her was practice at talking to people again, now that the excitement of arriving at the dorms had warn off. He was a little shaky, but that was more to do with the subject matter, rather than any inherent resurgence of his inability to speak to people.

The nerves were there before he met with his class, though that was to be expected. Anyone would be nervous in his position, so he didn't beat himself up over it too much. He kept rehearsing what he was going to say, a bit like he was about to perform a dreaded middle school presentation all over again. Presentations that had him feeling nothing but utter terror as he got up in front of about twenty unblinking, judging eyes who listened with unflinching focus as he spoke.

It had been a long time since then though. And he had improved a lot more when it came to public speaking, hadn't he?...

Now that he was here though, he was fully aware of just how wrong he had been.

Lying had been the one thing Izuku had always hated about getting his Quirk. It had always been a comparatively small price to pay, and he knew that he wasn't lying just to make things easier for himself and for All Might, and he wasn't doing it because there was some sort of immoral goings on around the Quirk. He understood the necessity of it. It didn't mean that he had to like it though.

That was why, in a way, everyone learning about the fact his power wasn't his was almost a relief. Because it meant that he could finally come clean about it.

He had never liked lying. It was just one of those things that he didn't like doing. It wasn't even that he was raised specially to despise lying, or had grown up where he'd be severely punished if he did lie. He just didn't like it. Honestly had always worked out for him, and he always did his best to be just that.

All Might's request had changed that. And even though he disliked it, really, who was he to argue with the man who bestowed such a great power onto him, and the number one Hero – His idol – At that? His mentor had been round much longer than he had, and he'd had One For All for longer than Izuku had been alive. He understood it all more. The Quirk, the world, the risks, and the dangers of this power falling into the wrong hands. There were certain dangers to being so open with One For All, risks that were just unavoidable due to the nature of the power in question. So when All Might asked him to keep it a secret, Izuku had agreed without question.

That secret was out now though.

It hadn't been a surprise at all that All Might had, to put it as leniently as possible, been concerned about Izuku's plan to reveal One For All officially to his classmates. He seemed to recognize that they couldn't hide the exact nature of the Quirk any longer. Toga's charade had blasted that option right out of their hands, but to be outright about it could still lead to troubles, and the less concern that there was about One For All, the better it would be in the long run. Not only for society, but for Izuku himself. Now, more than any other time since the green-haired boy inherited the Quirk they had to tread carefully, and be sure about what they were doing.

One For All couldn't be explicitly stated, or revealed. How it exactly came into existence didn't have to be explained either. If any of the students were more observant, they might notice the associated names of 'All For One' and 'One For All' and make a link, somehow. So, One For All was still referred to as 'Super Power', to try to avoid exposing that particular link. Nor was the fact that it was All Might whom bestowed the power onto Izuku revealed either. People would put two and two together, and might even blame Izuku for All Might's retirement. It wasn't likely, but it wasn't something All Might felt that his protégé should risk.

'Super-Power' was a Quirk that could be bestowed onto others, and gave its user immense physical strength. Izuku was Quirkless before he received his power. That was the story both All Might and Izuku agreed on. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was far more than ideally should have ever been revealed. Izuku also included the many months that he spent refining and honing his body to accept such a tremendous power. And the nature of how he first used it. None of that was crucial to the secrecy of One For All, and the less lies that he left hanging in the air, the better he was going to feel.

Mina had insisted on revealing that she had been told about the Quirk as well, and had also said nothing. It wasn't her place to accept blame for something that she had had absolutely no part in, but she explained that feared that people would end up angry with Izuku for not revealing his secret to them, but if she was there, it might soften the anger directed at him. At least, that was her hope. He wouldn't be on his own, at the very least, in the hostility directed towards him. With a reason like that, Izuku couldn't turn down her request.

But there just wasn't any. More than anything, people just looked confused.

Everyone was there, with the exception of Bakugou. No one had been able to coax him out of his room when Izuku had wanted to make the announcement. He wanted everyone to understand. He felt like he owed it to them – He'd kept it from them all from the very day that they met.

So he had explained, fully, to the best of his ability. He explained everything, from his training, to receiving, to first using it, and learning how to control it. His Quirkless nature, and his desire to be a Hero, more than anything else in the world. He spoke as earnestly as he could, having to be stopped by Mina several times before his ramblings went into a completely different tangent to the one that he was supposed to be on.

Where he could, he spared no detail, and where he couldn't, he did his best to be vague. No one ever interrupted him while he spoke, raised their hands to ask questions, or even seemed to move, outside of blinking automatically. His story went by without incident, to an onlooking crowd whom just sat there. Listening. Processing.

And now that he had told them… They just looked at him.

From the faces of everyone he had just explained the situation to, he could see that not everyone was entirely convinced. Really though, he couldn't bring himself to blame them. What he had just said went against all known research into their societies superpowered phenomenon. Really, what was he expecting them to do? Jump up immediately and respond that they understood and that it was entirely logical? Accept that the foundations of everything that they believed in wasn't as sturdy as they had always thought? That with what he possessed within his body, the very definition of what a Quirk was could be changed?

Of course not. They just looked at him.

Like they'd been the victims of some kind of joke. Several of them blinked. The others had raised eyebrows. And some looked like their minds had just been blown from the inside out. There wasn't any one general consensus, although confusion seemed to be the most common one. That and bewilderment. Some even had momentary disbelief, or at least struggled with the implications that the story suggested.

Silence hung strong for a while whilst they all processed the information dump they had received.

"…So, lemme get this straight." Kaminari was the first one who actually broke what had ended up being about five minutes of solid silence.

"U-Uh… G-Go ahead."

"You were born without a Quirk, and got one from somewhere else."

"R-Right."

"And, what, that's why your bones break when you use it too much?"

"K… Kind of." The bone breaking seemed to be exclusive to Izuku, he noticed. All Might never suffered from it, and as far as he could tell, none of the other users did either. Which was both humbling and encouraging when he really sat down and thought about it.

"… Who did you even get it from?" Tooru ended up pitching her voice in. Her feelings were the most difficult to tell, on account of her non-corporeal face.

"I… I've been asked not to say anything." He answered, hesitantly. He didn't know how his classmates would take that as a response – He had to admit, it made him sound suspicious.

He couldn't blame his classmates for looking at him like he was trying to pull a trick on them. When he had been told by All Might himself about the very nature of One For All, he had to take a few moments before he could fully accept what he was being told. Even during his year of training, honing his body to accept this power, he couldn't quite believe it. A part of him always expected All Might to turn around and laugh, revealing it to be nothing but one long, elaborate joke, because it so fundamentally went against everything that centuries of science and research had told him about Quirks.

His anxiety probably would have blow over and turned him into a full-on stammering, awkward, useless, awkward, stumbling, awkward, incapable, awkward mess, were it not for Mina holding onto his hand as he spoke. Every time it felt like his heart was going to blow up, or his face made a particular motion that gave away his nerves, she would squeeze his palm gently, like a small reminder that he wasn't here alone.

Were it not for that, he honestly doubted he could say all these things to his classmates.

"…Don't take this the wrong way, Midoriya." Yaoyorozu spoke up. "But… Is there any way you can prove this?"

She wasn't accusatory, nor did she sound angry. More than anything, she honestly sounded curious. Yaoyorozu was a person who prided herself on her intellect, so it made sense that she would want to learn about the power Izuku reported to have, but she wanted proof of what he was claiming.

"Not like he's got much reason to lie, Yaomomo." Mina stated, rather flatly.

"I'm not accusing him of that. It's just… This isn't something that you hear every day."

It wasn't like both sides were being unreasonable. Mina didn't like the implication that her boyfriend was a liar, and Yaoyorozu was inquisitive by nature. She wouldn't just accept this without proof, nor did Izuku expect her to.

Frankly, he'd be slightly alarmed if she did.

"Recovery Girl has X-rays of my joint." He explained. Unlike his classmates, he still kept the pinkie joint that the rest of them traded in for their Quirks. An X-ray would prove pretty much everything that he was saying. A simple litmus test to prove his authenticity. "She knows about my Quirk. I-I can ask her to show anyone who wants to see, if you want."

"Don't bother."

The class turned their attention towards Uraraka as her words settled down with everyone in the room.

She looked towards Izuku, and towards Mina, and for a genuine moment, both of them thought that Uraraka was just a second away from lashing out at the pair of them. For lying, for keeping secrets, for whatever other reasons that she had to be angry with them.

And Izuku was ready to accept those reasons. No matter what they were. Everyone in the room had their reasons to be angry at him, livid to the core if they wanted to be. He didn't really have much of a right to protest against any anger that any of them might have had. After all, it was all valid.

"I believe it."

Izuku found himself waiting for a smash to the gut that just never came. He found himself with his eyes wide open, blinking, hardly, a couple of times, before the auditory message made its way to his brain for interpretation.

He had expected anger. Words expressing betrayal. Hurt feelings. Confusing. Disbelief. Accusations of lying. But none of them had come.

"U-Uraraka?"

"It… Would kind of explain a lot." The Zero Gravity Quirk user pointed out. She still looked rather dazed and confused, but with the pieces all laid out in front of her, it let her put things together slowly, like it was a jigsaw puzzle. A complicated puzzle that didn't have ever single piece, but it was a puzzle that one could at least start to make sense out of. "But I didn't think anything like that was ever possible."

"You saw that guy All Might went up against, didn't you?" Sero said. "It was like he had a bunch of different Quirks."

"And Ragdoll." Ojiro added. "Didn't she end up retiring because her Quirk got stolen?"

Obviously, the Tail nor the Tape Quirk users hadn't made the link between One For All and All For One, but the mere mention of that particular adversary made Izuku shiver. Both at the memory of his encounter, and in anxiety from the subject manner.

The reactions had… Certainly not been what he'd been expecting. But then again, he'd had no clue what he was supposed to expect. Mina had assured him that his classmates would understand, but somehow, it felt too easy, too simple and straight forward. He'd been so terrified about his classmates learning about his power, that in his head, he'd come up with all sorts of monstrous and horrific outcomes. And they had built themselves up int eh back of his head for so long, they had somehow cemented his fears, without him ever even thinking about them.

"If someone can take Quirks… I suppose it wouldn't be too great a leap to assume Quirks can also be given to others." Yaoyorozu speculated, quite correctly as well.

But they just weren't happening. Everything that Izuku had thought, almost predicted would happen… Simply wasn't happening. One by one, his classmates talked with one another, and began to speak directly to him. He remembered.

"Am I the only one who doesn't see a problem here?" Tooru asked.

"I don't see one." Tsuyu stated. "Granted, I'm still incredibly curious about where you got this Quirk from, Midoriya… But if you've got it, someone must have trusted you enough with it. It's ridiculously strong Quirk after all."

He remembered the last time he'd been so afraid that it made him anxious to his very bones. Made him imagine things that would never happen, no matter how hard his own imagination tried to convince him that they would.

"Hell, if this is all true, I'm honestly insanely impressed, Midoriya." Kaminari grinned.

"Getting into Yuuei without a Quirk that you were born with – That's gotta be a record or something, doesn't it?"

"Your dedication precedes you, Midoriya!"

"An impressive rise from the crypts of darkness."

"Holy crap, you're actually awesome!"

Mina had been right. It had taken them a while to get their heads around the idea, but once they'd managed that – They accepted it. They accepted it, and him, despite his Quirkless origins. They accepted everything that came with it, without ever even batting an eye.

And of course, she would know. When he admitted his own Quirkless origins to her, she had been the first one to accept it. She accepted him, despite all his fears, and everything in his life up until this point telling him his Quirkless nature made him inferior. Despite his own insecurities, his actions and achievements spoke for themselves. And his classmates were doing the exact same thing.

Izuku felt another squeeze on his hand as Mina glanced at him with a big smile on her face. " I told you they'd take it well."

Of everyone there though, one person found themselves unable to take everything as well as everyone else. One person who struggled to accept what was happening, to accept all the cheers with a smile, because it was all too much. Because everyone around them was just so… There weren't words. There just weren't any. All the people around him… In such a contrast to what his life had been like….

And that was Izuku himself. There was no smile. No laughter from him.

Just a wobbly pairs of lips, weak knees, and more tears running from his eyes than ever before in his life, as his own joy reduced him to sobs.

* * *

 **This chapter was kind of tricky to do. Gauging everyone's reactions is an odd thing, but I honestly think that 1A would accept it all with a smile – Especially if they learned about OFA and what Izuku had to do to acquire his power. That and the fact I only had a couple days to do this because of my work on other projects certainly didn't help, but I did the best that I could given how much time I had to work with. I think I came out with a short, breather chapter, I think. Next chapter, I'm hoping to get right back into the thick of what AE was, and get working towards the Overhaul arc – And arc I plan on dissecting and recreating into something** _ **halfway tolerable, God damn it Kohei.**_

 **Fake egotism aside, I do hope that you guys enjoyed this short chapter, and I hope to see you all next time!**


	63. Upgrade

Being back in his Hero Costume was a rather warm moment for Izuku. There wasn't really any other word he could use to describe the feeling other than warm. He would almost have called it nostalgic, were it not for the fact he'd only been out of costume for a couple of weeks at the most. It felt like he'd been away from it for far, far longer. It felt good, and he couldn't stop the smirk grow growing from his lips, even if he wanted to try.

It felt insanely good to be back in classes, even if they were still supposed to be in Summer break. He was getting exactly what he wanted – Getting throw right back into classes so he could get on with his life, and working once again, towards being the Hero that he always wanted to be. There was bound to be some rust and sluggishness to his moves, since he'd been laid up for a full week, and his injuries were still present from his time as a hostage, so he knew that ahead of him, was a mountains worth of work, both for him to catch up on as he re-discovered his abilities, and figured out what he was going to do next.

In the time that had passed since both he and Mina had been at Yuuei, a new task had been laid out in front of them – The development of super moves. Something which the rest of their classmates had already dived right into while they were away.

"Super moves… So, what, stuff like All Might's United States of Smash thing?" Mina asked for clarification from one of the many clones that Ectoplasm had sent out around Gym Gamma to observe and assist the many students in their quests of self-improvement.

"For simplicities sake, yes." The clone responded with a nod. "Personally, I think that would be more accurately an 'Ultimate Move', but you've got the right idea. I'd say Iida's Recipro Burst would be more in line with what we're going for here."

Quirks, after all, were intensely flexible, depending on the power that one had. It wasn't always a case of just charging right through with all the subtlety of a speeding train, but could be more methodical, experimental, and useful in so many different ways.

Super moves were good for brand recognition of particular Heroes, as well as being a way of smashing through an opponent's defences. Even if someone knew it was coming, reacting to Iida's speed increasing special move was borderline impossible. They let the user vary up their attacking style, and utilize their Quirk for maximum impact. A move that just pushed the Quirk all that bit further, and in such a way that it became harder for Villains to counter.

In a sense they almost became trademarks of the Hero in question as well. With some famous Heroes, all one needed to hear was the name of their attack, and images of that Hero. They were the moves young kids would pretend to use when playing as the Heroes that they admired.

"Got it!" Mina's hands pumped up and down whilst a smirk grew on her lips. "I know exactly what I'm going for!"

She didn't waste a single second either – Instantly, she turned on her heels, and took aim at the target – Little more than a block of concrete Cementoss had conjured up – And swung her arms back. Then, she pushed them forward, the wrists meeting one another, and from her open palms, she shot out a large ooze of Acid.

Only to have it barely get half a meter in distance before it began to fall to the ground.

"Well?" She turned towards both her boyfriend and their teacher, with a big smirk on her face like she had just developed one of the greatest moves since the Detroit-Delaware Smash. "Whaddya think?!"

Izuku couldn't help but feel his face twitch in amusement, and a small sigh escape his lips. She certainly had an idea of what she was going for – Couldn't be any denial about that, but she didn't seem to quite understand the physics behind her own Quirk.

The Ectoplasm clone seemed to have a similar reaction, but without the amusement. Instead, he was more focused on the practicality of such a move. And apparently decided that her idea had its merits. "If your goal is to have more direction over where you shoot your acid, try creating a smaller exist with your fingers." Mina blinked at him, but followed his instructions, creating a smaller mouth with her hands, until only a narrow exit remained. "there, like that."

Another burst of Acid shot from Mina's hands – This time, having the effect that she seemed to desire in the first place. It shot out from her by a good few meters, landing further away from her than any normally thrown glomp she'd thrown before would have.

"Woah!" The pink girl bounced up and down on the spot in excitement. "It went much further!"

"Your goal will be to increase your range, by the looks of things."

Izuku smiled, feeling pride in Mina for already having a move planned out. It was to be expected of course. Mina had had her Quirk for years, and had know what she wanted to do for a long time too. There wasn't any doubt that she had some kind of idea what she'd wanted to do from the word go. Everyone seemed to at least have an idea of the kinds of special moves that they wanted to craft. "So, we just need to think up some kind of move to give us an edge…"

He glanced towards the gloves of his costume, thinking about what his options were. They were depressingly limited from what he could think up.

Not so much that One For All was limited – It was a Strength Enhancement Quirk. They were some of the most versatile powers out there. The issue was primarily due to his own inability to control his bestowed power.

As he thought more and more about it, he wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to come up with a special ability when he couldn't even control this power at the baseline. And then, there was the warning that he got from the hospital staff.

If he should wreck his arms up again, it seemed likely that he was going to end up losing all ability to use them at all. A thought that made him shudder still. So, he couldn't risk breaking his arms into fragmentation again, and he couldn't control his power all the way under normal circumstances.

What exact options did he even have?

"You okay, Izu?" Mina's voice caught his attention, and when he turned to the source on impulse, he realized that she was stood right next to him, and that without even thinking about it, he had begun to stare at the other students around him, watching them develop their moves.

Hoping that inspiration would strike him if he simply observed for a moment.

A small sigh escaped, and he gave her a soft smile. He had zoned out again. "How long this time?"

"Just a couple minutes. Ectoplasm was just giving me ideas on what I can do with my Quirk. You didn't miss anything."

"That's a nice change."

Mina let out a small laugh, and looked at the work of their classmates as well. There wasn't any shortage of ideas throughout their class, that was to be certain. She could see all sorts of techniques being developed – Todoroki's Ice-Palace-With-Flames thing, Momo's focus on generating more and more efficient items for combat, Tsuyu's… Whatever it was that she was supposed to be doing, it was had to tell from where she was standing. Closer, she could hear Kaminari and Mineta actually talk about the many ideas that they had between one another. The many things they had thought up as children were now to be tested in the field, and they'd be able to separate the facts of what they could do, and turn the fiction into reality.

The revelation about One For All, frankly, could not have gone better, no matter how many different ways Izuku tried to think up the reveal going over and over again in his head. It had gone so perfectly, so flawlessly, and his classmates filled with such compassion and understanding, that it really defied belief. In his anxiety filled head, he'd come to believe in the warnings that All Might had showed him in, constantly reminding him about how much trouble that he could end up in if One For All was discovered by others.

But that worry had been misplaced. At least within Class 1A, something that he couldn't be more eternally grateful for.

All his life, the insecurity and taunting, and the bullying and the, well, everything he was forced to grow up with had made him fearful of telling anyone about his Quirkless origins. Shame seemed to rule over that aspect of his life, his birth defect almost seeming like it was controlling over his ability to connect with others, and make lasting friendships.

The first few months at Yuuei hadn't helped either. It was the first time that he'd ever been treated fairly by anyone ever since his old friends learned about his powerless state. To him, it reinforced the idea almost – To the people who knew he was powerless, he was a joke, a target, a punching bag. He was lesser than them, and treated as such, viciously, throughout nearly all of his adolescence. But at Yuuei, where people knew him as the guy with the powerful, if weird, Quirk, he was suddenly being treated like he was on equal footing with them. And that stood out to him. Painfully so.

Now he was surrounded by people who knew about that. About everything.

Including the parts that he would have just allowed to quietly slide by.

"You sure you're alright?" Mina waved a hand in front of Izuku's face. "You're zoning out more than usual."

"S-Sorry." He blinked and took a step back, her proximity to him catching him off guard. "I… I just have a lot on my mind, is all."

Mina nodded, and then shrugged slightly. "You need to talk about it?"

"N… No, it's nothing that we haven't talked about before." Izuku said, shaking his head. "I was just… Thinking about everything that's happened."

"Ah." Whilst they agreed to be more honest and open with one another, Mina knew that she shouldn't push Izuku. His situation was unique, and he needed space to figure out what he was doing, and how he wanted to go about figuring it all out. When he needed her, he'd tell her. She trusted him to. "If you're sure. Anyway, how about your Super Moves, huh? I'll bet you've got a ton of them lined up!"

"Uh, yeah… Uh… No." Izuku sighed once more, feeling that his exhales were starting to become more and more routine by the minute. "To be honest, Mina, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. One For All isn't stable, and if I shatter my arms again…" He didn't need to say it out loud. Frankly, the idea of saying it out loud sent shivers down his spine.

Just like it did for Mina.

Even using his power now was risky, and something that he had to be careful with doing. If he overestimated how much power his body was capable of outputting, or he let himself get carried away and lose focus, he could end up with two useless limbs, and his dreams of Heroism were dead right then and there. "Right… Sorry."

"I-It's okay." Izuku gave her a gentle smile. He could tell that she was worried about him. "…If it helps, I also don't have a clue what to do for a Special move either."

"Can't just come up with another State-sponsored Smash?"

"They're just punches when you think about it… And I'm not sure that's smart right now. Not until I've figured something out…"

"Can't just call All Might?"

"He's not here today, and I left my phone in my room. I'm kind of on my own here."

"Well that's what you get for not duct-tapping it to the side of your head, like I do." She nudged him with her elbow as she joked, smirking with pride as she saw his smile grow wider in amusement.

It wasn't much, but it took his mind off things for a brief moment, which was all that they could also for, really.

The Acid Quirk user folded her arms, and felt herself pout as she tried to think of some way around Izuku's problem. It was a dilemma, to be sure, and she put her mind to using every single creative cell in her brain towards coming up with a solution, or at least a shove in the right direction.

Without All Might here to help, or any real understanding of how One For All worked for the user – Without a feel for it – She didn't know how much help she could be. That was the problem with One For All. Anyone who wound up with the power essentially was going into it blind, without their mentors to assist them. She had to wonder, did All Might have to struggle like this? She didn't remember if she'd ever been told about how he overcame the adversities of a superpower like this.

The amount of times that she found herself trying to help Izuku, only to realize that she just couldn't do much of anything because of how vastly different their scenarios were made her feel kind of useless. Just her luck to end up falling in love with the one guy on the planet who inherited his power as opposed to being born with it – It couldn't just be a simple case, could it?

"Couldn't you… I don't know, come up with a different fighting style?" She suggested, not really sure what developing a new fighting style would even entail.

"Like what?"

"I… I don't know." With her forearms and hands, she made a guard, as if to demonstrate. "Using your arms in a different way, I guess? I just… I don't want you to end up… Hurt again."

The boy smiled again, before looking at his own arms. Was there some way that he could throw punches without giving himself a massive injury? Or some way he could protect his arms from the ruthless backlash that came with using the sheer power that was One For All? Ideally, it would just be to not use 100% again, but there was no telling what kind of effect that it could have with Full Cowl. Could it accumulate, and he just hadn't noticed? And what if he wound up in a situation where he needed to exceed his limits? What if he needed to go beyond 5%? Or even 10%?

What then?

His gloves caught his eyes next. They were fitting as far as his costume's aesthetic went, and it didn't deviate too much from his mother's design. The fact of the matter though, was that they didn't do much in the way of protection. The others in his class were allowed to think of things like the appearance, and the apparel of them as Heroes, but he couldn't afford to. Certainly not to the same liberties at the very least. He needed every advantage that he could get.

"…Maybe I should see about upgrading my costume." He said. His hand wrapped itself around his wrist as he spoke. "Someone might be able to make some kind of brace or something for my arms. Reduce the feedback or… Something." Like Mina, he wasn't certain what exactly he could expect, but he shrugged. "It can't be any worse than just leaving things how they are now."

"It's a place to start, I guess." Agreed Mina.

"I guess I'll head over there after our session here." He said, stretching his arms out, and feeling some of his bones click as he prepared himself.

They had a few hours of training in this session first-hand. And he intended to use what time they did have to try to extend his Quirk – And get used to using it again.

* * *

There wasn't any denying the fact Izuku was rusty when it came to using his Quirk.

If an Olympic level sprinter spent a few weeks doing nothing but remaining curled up in a blanket on a bed while watching bad anime and Saturday morning cartoons, when they went back to giving it their all on the track, they were going to need to take a few laps before they started getting back into the swing of things. The same was true of Quirks.

And even then, that only really applied to people who were born with their powers. With a handed down ability, Izuku felt like he was more sluggish than the rest of the others, even though he was still working his hardest to make One For All into his Quirk. Maybe this was what All Might had meant when he said that it was important to make the power his own. To help avoid things like this happening.

His movement was a bit stiff, and how he adjusted his body when he ran, jumped, and maneuvered around wasn't as crisp as it had been back at the sports lodge, at least not right away. While Mina had spent the session learning to aim her new Acid Shot move with better and better precision, Izuku had been jumping from place to place, and getting back into the mindset he needed to have.

By the time the session had ended, bar a few bits of rust, he felt a whole lot better about his power and readjusting to it. The liberation that came from being able to jump from place to place, feeling the static electricity crackling through the air as the power surged all throughout his veins, and his muscles feel tougher and stronger than ever before – He'd almost forgotten how good it felt to have One For All, and how amazing he felt being able to do everything that he was able to do with it.

The session ended with Izuku having an enormous grin on his face, proud of himself, and feeling better than he had in over a fortnight.

As both he and Mina left Gym Gamma, their sights squarely focused on the Department of Support, recommended to them by Ectoplasm once again, claiming that costume support was outside his area of expertise, several of their classmates went out of their way to compliment Izuku on his performance, assuring him that he'd been working impressively throughout the day. They were well intended, but it was clear that they were issuing these compliments because they now knew about his Quirkless origins, and felt somewhat obligated to show their support.

Not that Izuku didn't appreciate it, but he didn't feel like he needed that kind of encouragement. He blushed and attempted to accept the compliments with as much grace as he could muster, but it didn't feel to him like he necessarily deserved them. It still caught him out sometimes, but he reminded himself over and over that One For All was, at the end of the day, not all that different to a Quirk like Electrification, or Hardening, or Sugar Rush or anything else like that. His simply had a different function to the others.

He was grateful for the vow of silence that everyone had agreed to take.

Earlier that day, once he'd managed to stop bawling his eyes out, and was able to speak to people again, he had asked that they all remain as tight lipped as possible about the power. He explained that while he did have the ability to pass it on, it wasn't a power that could be stolen, but explained that he and 'the person who granted him the power' were afraid that if the wrong people got wind, they would make an effort to steal the ability.

Given the fact that they were all newly introduced to his power, the fact that they all accepted this without hesitation filled Izuku up with both gratitude, and happiness – Even in the face of a lack of total understanding, they all were willing to acquiesce to the request, no matter how much they may want to tell someone. So he didn't need to worry about 1B, or the rest of the school learning about his powers either.

Even the teachers were left in the dark, which was an enormous relief. Izuku didn't want special treatment just because his circumstances were unique. He wanted to become a Hero the same way everyone did – Through hard work.

It would pass, he felt. Once his classmates got used to the idea of him having a Quirk that was passed onto him, those sorts of compliments would cease fairly quickly. Until then, he had a duty to refine his power to the absolute best of his ability, and not to let anything get in the way of that.

And right now, that involved getting an upgraded costume.

Whilst they left the gym and made their way towards the support room on the first floor, briefly, they crossed paths with Bakugou.

And they both stared at one another.

No words were spoken between either of them – What was there even to say?

Everything that needed to be said between the two of them had been – It had all come out, one way or the other. Bakugou's suspicions were confirmed, and he'd found them out in quite possibly the worst way imaginable. How he had treated Izuku previously was now out in the open for everyone to judge him on.

What more did the two of them have to talk about?

Without a word, Bakugou looked away first. The entire confrontation lasted perhaps all of about five seconds, and once those five seconds were up, the Explosion Quirk user was off once again, headed towards who knew where, for who knew what reason.

"…I really don't know if I'll ever understand why you vouched for him." Mina said, narrowing her eyes as she watched Bakugou walk away.

That had been another matter that had been resolved not long after Izuku made his announcement. In light of Bakugou's previous history, his position at Yuuei had come into question.

In centuries past, a school like Yuuei wouldn't have dealt with such accusations as seriously as a school in nations like the United Kingdom or America would have done – That was before the advent of Heroism though. And while many middle schools weren't as adamant about following such reformations, high schools, especially those with renowned Hero programs like Yuuei, did. It spoke volumes about a person, and what sort of a Hero they would end up becoming.

Someone might be extraordinarily powerful, but if they had a record of bad behaviour, the what would that translate to when they were given the freedoms that came with being a Hero? It was questions like that that led to global reforms around many areas of society, like the military and the police, long before Quirks came into the picture.

In the face of all of this new evidence – Evidence of which Bakugou didn't deny any of – The question of removing him from the premises had come into question, some teachers arguing that removing him made sense, citing these reasons, while others defended him claiming that he'd shown none of thee symptoms while in standard classes.

The final say had gone to Izuku.

After all, he had been the one who was affected the most by Bakugou's acts of violence, and since nearly every single member of class 1A had heard the confession from Bakugou-Toga, and Bakugou hadn't denied any of the accusations, Izuku couldn't deny them either. Something that he wished he could do – He just wanted things ot go back to how they were before all of this information got itself out there.

With his say so, Bakugou could have been thrown out of Yuuei. And he would be lying if he said that it hadn't, for just even a light moment, tempted him to do so. The prospect of getting some kind of latent revenge against his childhood bully seemed to stimulate the primal urge that all people felt when given the chance. He'd be lying if he said that the idea didn't hold some appeal to him.

By that wasn't who he was, and it was someone he didn't want to be. So he vouched for Bakugou, permitting him to remain at Yuuei.

"…He earned his place here, no matter how you look at it." Izuku explained briefly, watching with Mina as he disappeared behind a corner. "And… I-I know what its like to have a dream shattered. Even if I wanted to… I couldn't do that to him."

Mina just sighed. Only Izuku would manage to have empathy like this for someone who had tormented him so much. But this wasn't something that she was going to argue with him about. "If you say so, Izu… I'll trust you."

A lack of trust was what caused all their issues in the first place, after all, and she had resolved to have more faith in him. She disagreed with his call, but she was going to trust that he knew what he was doing.

Since it would normally be break-time for every other course except the Hero course students, the hallways felt even more empty and quiet. Their footsteps echoed in the long corridors, seemingly emphasizing just how empty the building was. Izuku never thought that he'd see Yuuei in such a quiet state like this, barely anyone in the building whatsoever. He'd always imagined it as a busy, bustling place, where every single day was always full of people rushing about and doing about a thousand different things at once. The place being calm and quiet was something he'd just never expected to encounter.

Although, he had never expected Yuuei to wind up as a bordering school, and yet here they were.

"So… Do you have any upgrades to your costume you're thinking about?" He asked Mina, hoping to spark some kind of small talk to fill the silence.

"Nothing comes to mind." The Acid Quirk user said, taking a glance at her hands. "I dunno what sort of equipment would even help with a Quirk like mine."

"You're focusing on aiming your Quirk more, aren't you? Isn't there something you could order that could help you figure that out?"

Another glance at her wrists this time made Mina give the idea some proper consideration. Was there anything that she could use to improve her aim? Would a designer even be able to create anything that could assist her in her aiming? Her Quirk wasn't the easiest thing in the world to work for.

Although it was a support-persons job to adapt to make whatever improvements were needed, and she wasn't going to get answers by making assumptions. "…I guess I could ask."

"Isn't that why you're coming with me?"

"I mean, I was mostly coming along cause I wanted to see what you had in mind."

"I… I'm not entirely sure what I want either."

"Well, fantastic! We can both go and admit that we haven't got the first clue what we want together!"

"…That… Sounds like when we first started dating, doesn't it?"

"Hah!" Mina laughed, smirking at the wisecrack. "Doesn't it?"

Izuku let himself laugh as well. Honestly, he'd found himself even more relaxed than normal. The last few weeks had put a lot of things into perspective for him, and now that the matter of his Quirk had been cleared up, he found himself just not worrying about tiny things like jokes and teasing. There were worse things than creating an awkward silence.

Of course, it would take a lot longer before he could just crack out jokes in the same way his other classmates did. But it was a bit of a start, he supposed.

* * *

The Development Studios was… To put it as mildly as possible, it was an experience. One certainly couldn't deny that. When someone thought about Yuuei, they always instantly assumed in their heads that the Hero course was where all the excitement was.

That was the department that allowed the students to use their Quirks freely, and were taught how to better utilize their powers. How to fight, and how to save people. Given that Yuuei was famous for its Hero course, it wasn't a baseless assumption. There was a logic to it.

Even so, it was the wrong assumption.

If the Hero course was the most practically applying course in Yuuei, the Support course was without a doubt the most creative one. People who had no interest in Heroism, but were invested instead in creative or artistic fulfillment would end up in Support, eager to allow their creative muscles to show themselves. It was an environment in which forced creativity allowed itself to run rampant, imposing many restrictions and conditions on the students there, forcing them to come up with innovative and unique solutions to difficult puzzles.

And if one wanted an example of one such innovator, one didn't need to look any further than Mei Hatsume.

Izuku recognized her from the Sports Festival, and for her weight-restrictive designs back form the Final exams of the first semester. Quirky, and hyperactive to a point where she nearly surpassed Mina, with a fondness for creating technology that made her seem like a neophiliac, she basically embodied everything that the Support course was supposed to be. The personification of an absolute mad genius.

Her ability to create was honestly something that Izuku admired, as was her passion. He certainly liked Hatsume, and found it easy to get along with her.

What he wasn't a fan of was the explosions that seemed to follow her, no matter where she went or what she did.

"Gaah!" Hatsume ducked down, managing to avoid one of the explosions that one of her devices created once more. She got out of the way before the blast even went off, like she'd developed some sort of sixth sense that predicted such a failure.

"Aah!"

"Woah!"

Both Izuku and Mina also managed to dodge the blast, by taking one giant stride apart, as the explosion rocketed past between the two of them, and whatever the device was supposed to be collided right into the wall behind them, where it embedded itself. Sparks flew off the machinery, and it vibrated consistently, like it was trying to tunnel through said wall, but to no avail at all.

"Welp!" Hatsume declared loudly, shooting right back onto her feet and placing her hands on her hips, triumphant, somehow. "That could've gone better!"

"I think any result would have been a better result." Mina muttered, though she couldn't help but be amused by the excitement of it all, and Hatsume's chilled-out attitude towards her massive failure.

"Uh, shouldn't you go and…. Defuse it or something?" Izuku questioned, keeping his eye firmly on device with a careful eye.

"Nah." Hatsume wafted her hand towards the broken gadget. "There's no components in there that'd make it blow up."

"It just shot halfway across the room!"

"And a magnificent show it was!"

"I'm beginning to wonder why I even let you in here." From a corner, Power Loader was heard. As the teacher on duty, and one of the Support Course tutors, he got to deal with Hatsume on a regular basis. "Something always seems to explode when you're working."

Both members of Awkward Energy couldn't decide getting to be her teacher would be a blessing or a terrifying curse.

Probably both.

Izuku sighed, but quickly came to the conclusion that this wasn't something he could win if he decided to argue. Hatsume understood technology far better than he did, so he was going to put his faith in her that it wasn't going to send him flying out of the room, and just hope that it was well placed. "A-Anyway, about my costume – "

"Costume upgrades?!" With an abundant inability to comprehend the concept of personal space, Matsume suddenly shot right in front of Izuku's face with a gleam in her crosshair-like eyes. "I'm listening!"

Her close proximity just made Izuku blink. "H-Huh?! W-We've been talking about this while you were tinkering with… Wh-Whatever that was!"

"Come again?"

"I don't think she was all that focused on us, Izu." Mina laughed. She'd been so focused on her contraption, that she hadn't even really been paying any attention to the two Hero students she had only half-heartedly greeted when they entered.

Somehow, that didn't even surprise Izuku.

"U-Uh, right. I'm… Looking for some way to decrease the stress on my arm ligaments." He repeated. "D'you think anything like that is possible – "

He was immediately cut off when he felt Hatsume's hands pressing against his torso. His chest, his abdomen – He froze up.

Mina just laughed at his surprised reaction. "Pft!"

"H-Hatsume, what're you doing?" Izuku managed to ask, rather awkwardly.

"Feeling your body." The Support student responded with a smirk, seeming to laugh in that peculiar way she did as she ran her hands over his muscles – What purposed this served, neither Izuku or Mina had any idea.

But it was hilarious to Mina. "Pft – Take your time, Hatsume, please – I can't get him to stiffen up like that anymore!"

Another peculiar laugh from Hatsume, and Izuku found himself burning with fluster.

* * *

 **Since I'm cutting and skimming through a lot of the points brought up in the manga, I thought this would be a nice cut off point – I have a nice idea for the next chapter starting point. I'm trying to change things around a bit too, And to some telling without showing, to flex my writing style.**

 **I had a lot of fun with this chapter – More fun that I've had with AE a lot. Mostly because we're out of the rescue arc which I think I went way too overboard with in hindsight – But this, I think, was a return to formula, and was a lot of fun to come up with on the fly like I did when AE first started. I had fun with this :D Hatsume is fun to write. I have a couple of ships I'd like to try out with her – Uraraka and Kaminari both spring to mind.**

 **If you enjoy what I do and want to support me, I have both a Pat Reon and a Ko – Fi account, both under the name of QuirkQuartz – Donations are highly appreciated, but not at all required. And if you want to follow me online to find out what I'm doing, I also have both a Tumblr and now a Twitter, both also under QuirkQuartz – Which is where I post my art, and reblog nearly everything Izumina that I can find, so they're pretty awesome places to be.**

 **And as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you again next time – See ya!**


	64. Dance-Dance Date Night

Seven-Sixteen PM. Mina glanced at the numbers on her phone, before switching it back into the standby mode and shovelling it into her pocket. She glanced around again, though she found out that nothing around her had particularly changed all that much. She had hoped that she would have seen Izuku making his way towards her and waving so she could see him. Then again, she knew she'd probably hear him before she saw him. He wasn't exactly great at keeping quiet.

She made herself laugh at the specific choice of words her mind decided to use for that, and then decided to pass the time. She reached for her phone again, flipped it on, and loaded up one of the many games she had on the device.

As both she and him had agreed on back in the hospital, the two of them hadn't been on an actual date in quite some time. Nothing that was just the two of them trying to enjoy themselves together, and nothing that they didn't just plan on doing with the others that they'd just be joined at the hip during. They hadn't made the choice to go out and enjoy themselves for an evening, although that could be partially to do with the fact that they had been insanely busy, and less than fortunate circumstances prevented them from doing so.

Back in the hospital though, Izuku had said that they needed to arrange some kind of date. It would do the pair of them some good, and would help them get their lives back on track. Besides, after dealing with Villains and failed outings and drama in the 1A class, a few hours away from anything even remotely Hero related sounded fantastic to the pair of them.

And when Izuku found himself looking forward to getting away from Heroism for a few hours, anyone who knew him knew that he needed a change of pace.

Hence why Mina found herself stood just next to the main gate for the famous Hero school, waiting for him.

Although it would be nice if Izuku could be on time. Mina thought the whole being late for things was her thing.

They had planned this since they got back to the dorms, and although they had found themselves busy with various things throughout the rest of the day, like costume upgrade discussion, training and refurbishment, Mina had gone out of her way to make sure that the pair of them were still up for their date that evening, which Izuku confirmed that they were. She could also tell from him smile and how he acted – Minus the nervous stammering that he seemed to have grown past when it came to her, at least in most cases – That he was looking forward to it.

So, she doubted that he forgot. Knowing Yuuei, someone, or something, had come up.

She could always head to the dorms and look for him herself, but that almost felt like defeat in a way. A very weird way that was particular only to Mina, but it was there. It wouldn't exactly be the… Best start to a date, reminding the other half that they were being waited on. That would kind of kill the magic, in Mina's head.

Of course it was equally possible that she was just thinking way too much about this. Spending so much time around Izuku was bound to have some… Side effects.

Her clothes weren't anything all that special either. It was still summer, and summer was boiling, especially in a crowded city like Musutafu. Sure, it might be late, but it would still be warm, though as the night went on, it would hopefully cool down. Her clothing reflected that, opting to dress lightly for the most part, with a light grey shirt with a dark blue circular symbol in the centre of her chest, the symbol being space agencies that apparently existed centuries ago – An old birthday shirt from her eldest brother. She combined that with loose-fitting shorts that ended up above her knees. She had considered skin-tight ones, but decided that given the heat, it might not have been the best choice. She also kept a jacket tied around her waist, just in case it got colder. Said jacket was remarkably similar to the jacket that belonged to Izuku she held onto while he was kidnapped – Dark grey sleeves, with a dark pink shade making up the torso section. A beaded necklace around her neck, and a hand bracelet hooked around her left horn. It served no real purpose, other than Mina thinking it was fun to have on. Even though she loved them, she acknowledged that her horns weren't exactly the most useful or practical mutations, so they might as well be accessorised a bit. To cap it all off, she carried a dark pink and black shoulder bag, which kept all her walking around belongings in it.

She didn't know where they were going on this date – And that was part of why Mina was looking forward to it. On previous dates, she recalled the pair of them either not knowing and making it up as they went along, or her being the one to suggest things. This time, Izuku was the one who had opted to choose where to go, and she found herself intrigued and excited. The only time Mina could think that they planned out a date in any way was the aquarium, during the day that they ditched class. It had been a relaxed day, primarily due to everything that had gone down the day prior. She couldn't think that she'd mind something relaxing again tonight. And knowing Izuku, he'd probably agree.

The pink girl dragged her finger across the screen, hitting one of the targets on her game with a satisfyingly perfect swipe. Mina smirked, and then prepared to drag her finger once more across the screen.

"Mina!"

While her swipe did hit the target, her name being suddenly called out did surprise her, and made her aim waver, and she caught the bottom of her intended target. Under normal circumstances, she'd be irritated by such a distraction. She recognized the voice though.

She pressed her phone into standby, and looked up, just in time to catch Izuku stopping just in front of her, and bending over so his hands used his knees to keep himself upright. His face was a gentle shade of red, and he was out of breath. Had he just run over here?

"S-Sorry." He said, glancing up as her while still getting his breath back. "Sorry I'm late."

"Did you just run over here?"

"I…. I got held up… By Hatsume." He explained between breaths. Mina didn't have even the slightest bit of trouble believing that story – Hatsume was certainly not the type to just let someone excuse themselves when she had questions and upgrades and tests and whatever the hell else was on her mind to get through.

"Hold on." The Acid Quirk user said, before reaching into her bag and retrieving a bottle of water. Given the heat, she'd assumed that they were going to need some, just not this soon. "Here, drink up." She instructed, handing it over to her boyfriend, with a partially amused, slightly concerned smile.

Izuku immediately took the bottle, uncapped it, and took a couple large gulps of water. Mina honestly found amusement in considering what exactly caused him to need it more – Running to meet her, or talking with Hatsume.

A gasp escaped his mouth once he took the bottle away from his lips, and he took in a few deep breaths. "Th… Thanks."

"You good?"

"I… Yeah. I just… Need a second."

As her boyfriend took that moment, Mina took a moment to check out what he was wearing. Plain, as usual, to the point where Mina was starting to wonder if he was in on the whole 'plain-looking guy' joke. He had a dark green jacket on, which was just a slightly lighter shade than his hair, though not by all that much. Unlike her, Izuku actually had his on, as opposed to wrapping it around his waist. Mina remembered him once telling her that he lived near this general area pretty much his whole life, so perhaps he was better acclimatized to the area than she was. He left the zipper undone, showing that underneath that, he had adorned a black shirt, with white kanji spelling out 'Black Shirt'.

Seriously, there was no way he wasn't just doing this on purpose now.

Black clothing with white Kanji though – That was probably the closest to customization that Mina had seen him wear, outside of All Might merch. It was only slightly less plain because the colours were inverted from the norm.

Eh, it was a start.

He also had on a set of tracksuit pants, a light grey colour. And of course, his trademark red boots. She had to wonder where on earth he got those things from – She could swear that she'd never seen him without them. He also carried a rucksack, though Mina suspected it was more out of habit than any real need for it.

"I uh… I think I'm good now." Izuku said, giving her a thumbs up.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Was just… Out of breath. Come on." He gestured towards down the street, and the lights that came from the city. "We should get going." He held out his hand, for her to take hold of.

Mina smiled, and took it, interlocking her fingers with his, and then following him as he led her away from the school.

There was definitely a very different feeling to tonight than on all their previous other dates, Mina noticed. They hadn't even gotten ten meters out of the school, and she could already tell that there was going to be something different about tonight. Izuku wasn't normally this forward, or this relaxed about… Well, anything, never mind spending time alone with her, or any other girl for that matter.

Given the things that he'd gone through though, it wasn't like she should be surprised. After being kidnapped for two days and seeing All For One And All Might go at it, and having everyone know the truth about his exceedingly unique Quirk now… A date probably seemed like a skip through the rain to him now.

Which suited Mina fine. As much as she found the flustered dope she ended up dating adorable as he was back then, she knew that really, it would only have been a matter of time before he found his footing and stopped being so anxious about being around her.

It was a good thing. He was getting past all the silly social anxieties that came from him just making a nightmare all in his head, and was finding more confidence and calmness in himself.

Even if it was just a small thing, it was something Mina couldn't help but notice, and smile about.

Besides, all that meant was that she was going to have to try some more… Creative methods to make him blush. That could be fun.

"Nothing too fancy, I'm guessing." She said, casually trying to make conversation.

"Huh?"

"I know you're committed to this whole, 'plain looking guy' thing," Mina smirked as she noticed Izuku check his clothes and realize what she was talking about, "But if we were going someplace fancy, I feel like even you would dress up a bit."

Izuku blinked, before scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I… Can't afford anything fancy. Sorry."

"Nah, dude, I'm just messing." Mina smiled, moving so that she walked closer to Izuku. The outside of her forearm brushed up against his. "If I wanted fancy, I'd just go hang at Yaomomo's place for a few hours."

The freckled boy let out a small chuckle, before his eyes seemed to glance over his girlfriend's face. "You're in a good mood."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Well, you've never been that great at hiding when you're happy."

"Fair point." Mina smiled, proving said point, not that she cared. She drummed her fingers against Izuku's hand and took another look at the path they were headed down. "Just kind of… Excited I guess. We haven't been out like this in ages." A slight pause. "I mean, not if you count the aquarium. Though I don't, cause I dunno how well 'Traumatic recovery while skipping class' counts as a date. More a spontaneous 'Eh, let's do something' kind of thing, y'know?"

"I… Think so."

"I'm just really lookin' forward to this." Chirped Mina, not even making any effort to suppress her trademarked Ashido smile. A skip made its way into her step as she walked along. "I've been looking forward to it since you first brought it up!"

* * *

Musutafu's night life had a very different feel to the kind that it did during the daytime.

In the daytime, like most cities on Earth, Musutafu was, for the most part, orderly. Like many cities in Japan, it was crowded and busy and loud, but pretty much everyone seemed to act in the way that they were supposed to act – They had places to be, people to meet, and they were going to those places. They had jobs, and responsibilities that they had to attend to, and that was why they were in the city in the first place. There was always the possibility of a Villain attack, so Heroes would patrol the streets, either on the ground, or in the sky above, to make sure hat the peace was kept.

At night though, it could be a bit of a different story.

Night time belonged to the people who were out to have a good time, and for a great many of them, that meant clubs, people, noise, and alcohol. They stopped moving around, and instead held down one particular area, and drank and talked to people. Unlike the daytime, the night belonged to people who were all about self-indulgence, a good time, and carefree fun. And while there wasn't anything necessarily wrong with that, it could lead to some… Less than pleasant experiences when one indulged too much, and they came across people who wanted nothing to do with their scene.

Both Izuku and Mina had encountered those sorts of people throughout their lives, and it wasn't all that difficult to avoid them, bar one or two drunken catcalls towards Mina, and one towards Izuku. Considering anyone who was doing that from a bar had to be over the age limit, the Quirk Inheritor wasn't sure which of those concerned him more.

Of course, with this being the natural course of the day in just about any major city, there were more police and Heroes active during the night, to make sure that things didn't wind up becoming too much chaotic. A fact that made Izuku feel a lot more secure. When he didn't have a Quirk, those was virtually the only things that made him feel safe going anywhere in the big cities at night. Even though he now had One For All, those familiar sights did still help put him at ease.

"Man, sounds like everyone's trying to have a good time, huh?" Mina commented as the pair of them passed another building, which was playing some of the loudest techno music Izuku had ever heard.

It certainly wasn't difficult to understand why. With the loss of All Might, people were unsure and concerned about what came next for their Hero society. What would happen now that their symbol of peace had fallen, and what was going to happen now that they had lost one of the most effective Heroes in decades. A Hero whose mere existence seemed to deter crime. Could the next top Hero fill those massive boots? Would things be the same ever again?

Not everyone was equipped to think about these questions every minute of the day. The average person would want to just allow themselves to forget about those sorts of problems that they had no control over, and just lose themselves for a few hours, with people, drinks, and loud, loud music. To numb the pain. The loss of All Might may have been a devastating blow to the Heroics industry, but it was one hell of a boost to the entertainment industry.

A scene which, really, wasn't exactly Izuku's. But it was very much Mina's kind of scene.

Izuku lead her around a few streets and corners, managing not to crash into other night-lifers, until they reached a comparatively small building, but one that was reputed to be just as entertaining as any of the other places the pair of them had just passed.

"Ubara Kell?" Aloud, Mina read the name of the place, blinking a couple of times before she looked at Izuku, who looked back at her. The pink girl then looked up at the writing on the side of the building, and then back at her boyfriend. "You know this is a night club, right?"

"For students." Added Izuku. Yuuei certainly wasn't the only school in the city, and there was no shortage of underage teenagers who wanted to let loose and enjoy themselves at night. Again, clubbing and the likes wasn't exactly Izuku's scene, and on his own, he wouldn't consider entering such a building. But he was with Mina, and Mina liked this sort of thing.

And besides, there was a certain logic as to why he thought that this would be a good idea.

"No, I mean, this is a straight up, loud music, rave, dance and noise place."

"I know. I searched up places like this online before bringing you here." Izuku paused for a moment, before the idea that he might have misjudged her desires for tonight. Suddenly, he felt a lot more self-aware. "Uh, we don't – We don't have to head in if you don't want to. I-I just thought… You – You mentioned that you liked the dancing scene before, and I thought you might enjoy somewhere like this…"

Sounds of loud music and then excited yelling and screaming from inside perked both Izuku and Mina's ears. "Dude, this kinda place is my jam. I'm more worried about you though. I thought you didn't like loud, crowded places?"

"I mean… Normally I don't." Izuku scratched at the back of his head again, this time less out of awkwardness, and more to attack an itch that had sprouted up. "But after spending a few days in a dead silent cell with only Kacchan for company, I think someplace full of people might do me some good."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He nodded. "Plus, it's kind of the only thing I can think of that doesn't involve Heroism directly in any way."

While not entirely convinced, Izuku's logic was pretty solid. If he said that he was fine with this place, then Mina trusted that he'd be okay. And if he got overwhelmed, there was nothing stopping them from leaving.

The pair of them entered, and to Mina, a number of things were immediately recognizable. The moment that they opened the door, a familiar blast of sound shot straight through Mina's body, whilst an unfamiliar one shot through Izuku's. The music and the speakers were so loud and refined, it felt like the music as being shot directly through their blood. This wasn't the first time that she had been to this kind of a place, and she recognized certain aspects of the clubbing scene – Groups of friends all huddled together and laughing as loud as their vocal cords would allow them, pairs of people, about half of which looked more like they had been dragged out by their friends and would rather be elsewhere. The people who were here on dates always seemed to either be the ones who occupied the dance floor, or the stalls in the furthest corners of the room.

People from all sorts of schools were here too. The place was aimed at a younger crowd, and as such was filled with people ranging from anywhere between thirteen to nineteen – Essentially anyone who was unable to legally drink. Middle schoolers and high schoolers, and even graduates all found themselves here as one of the more popular places to enjoy the night life of Musutafu without being able to get drunk. Some hadn't even gotten changed out of their uniforms, and had presumably been here for hours by now.

Playing out loud was some kind of Anglo-Japanese band that had hit the music industry in the last couple of months. Two Islands Armies, or something else ridiculous like that – Mina recognized the band, but didn't have even the first clue what the name was. Someone who had an Avian Quirk certainly did though, as they were shouting – Not singing, shouting – the lyrics along as they blared out through the speakers. The main entrance, Mina quickly decided, was not where they were going to want to be, at least not for a while. Too many groups bunched up together, and too loud, even for her.

It didn't take the pair of them too long to find a stall that wasn't occupied. There were empty glasses there, but no bags or personal belongings, so as far as either could tell, the previous occupants had departed. Sliding the glasses to the edge of the table, both teenagers sat down, letting out gentle sighs as the weight was released from their feet.

"Aaaaaah…" Mina let out a long, comfortable sigh as she felt herself sink into the foamy material the seats were made from. "Thank God. We had to walk a fair bit to get here, huh? I wish Yuuei would organize some bus routes from the school or something."

"Uh, d'you want a drink?" Izuku asked, glancing towards the counter.

"Why, you planning on getting me drunk?" Joked Mina. "I'll just have… A soda. Just, anything fizzy. Sugary." She clarified. She needed her energy.

Surprisingly, it didn't take Izuku all that long to actually order the drinks. Normally the lines for this sort of place were enormous, but they had apparently come in at a fairly quiet point in the night – Who knew what this place was like when it really got lively?

Izuku gave the tender behind the counter the table number they had, and placed their order.

"They're bringing them over." He explained as he returned empty handed, and sat down. He sat down opposite her, and allowed himself to lean back. "Said it shouldn't take more than five minutes."

"What'cha order?"

"Orange Soda and Cherry Soda."

"…The cherry is mine, isn't it."

"Do you want the cherry one?"

"More that if it's yours, I think I can make a pretty fun joke about the colour of cherry's and my skin."

"Well, it is yours."

"Damn it."

"We can swap if you want." Offered the gently amused teenage boy.

"Nah, I'm good. I like cherry soda. Just missed a golden opportunity." Mina joked, fake-pouting slightly. "Next time, I'm ordering the drinks, so I get to set it up so that I can make fun of you." She giggled gently to herself as she thought up the numerous number of ways she could mess with him with various drink orders. Once she calmed herself down, she leaned back in her seat, and opted to make casual conversation. "So, what'd Hatsume want?"

It took Izuku a few moments to realize what she was talking about. He looked at her with an expression of cluelessness before he remembered being held up. "Huh? Oh! Oh, Hatsume just had… A bunch of ideas she wanted to try and get my consent to try out with my costume upgrades."

"Anything you let her add?"

"I… Didn't feel all that comfortable letting her add a 'Wrist mounted laser beam' onto my costume."

"That sounds amazing!"

"It doesn't really help me with my issues with my Quirk though."

"I mean, I guess not." Mina said, putting a shoulder against the table, and holding her head in her hand. "It'd be sweet though! You just do like a - " The Acid Quirk user made a gesture with her hand, which involved her folding in the ring and index finger, and tucking in her thumb. " – And then shooting a laser outta your wrist! Like, zyoom!"

"You make it sound like I'd be one of those old-age comic Heroes that didn't have Quirks."

"It works on multiple levels!" Chimed the pink girl. "Plus, we'd match."

Izuku raised an eyebrow at that statement. "How?"

"I spoke a bit with Hatsume while you were going over your blueprints with Power Loader." She explained. "You were talking about upgrading your costume, so I thought I should see if she had any ideas on how I could upgrade my costume to help with my Quirk." A small grin. "She came up with this idea of making wrist-mounted turrets that can shoot acid from them! She said I should be able to increase my range with them pretty dramatically. We went over the design a bit and came up with something that she thinks she could have ready in a couple days!"

Wrist-mounted range extenders. Izuku blinked as he considered the idea, and then smiled. It was times like this that did make him a little upset that he such control over his Quirk that he couldn't utilize range. All Might used to have the ability to send shock-waves with the sheer power of his attacks, but Izuku doubted that right now, he had even remotely enough control to attempt something like that without shattering his entire body. Sometimes, he wondered if he would ever be able to utilize his mentors' power in such a way.

"I thought you were working on improving your range with Ectoplasm." Izuku asked.

"Yeah, it's for my special moves. I still wanna try a buncha stuff!" His girlfriend chirped eagerly. "But I thought that having extra range would help too. Plus, I might not always have the new equipment, so it's not like adding them would lose me anything. I'd still need to practice without them. And get good at aiming with them."

Her logic made a lot of sense – Train in case she didn't have them, train for when she did have them. And it wasn't likely that these wrist mounted launchers would be able to utilize special moves like Mina was trying out.

It was certainly a creative idea too, and a logical step for upgrades to her costume. Then again, if there was one word to describe Mina, creative would be one of the first ones that Izuku would go for. She was always full of ideas, and had about a million of them she wanted to try out. Something like that was going to be a massive asset to her throughout the rest of their time at Yuuei, and when they hit the Pro-Hero scene.

Before Izuku could comment on it though, a waiter arrived at their table, and on the platter he held, their drinks.

"Ah, thank you!" Mina chimed, before taking her drink and taking a big, long sip of it through a drinking straw.

Izuku thanked the man as well, before he took a more reserved sip of his drink than Mina had, whom was already about a third of the way through her cherry soda. The drink was fizzy, and felt like it snapped him fully awake, eradicating whatever fatigue that he might have had. Not to mention that it tasted nice on top of that, and was cold and refreshing. A sigh escaped from his lips as he parted ways with the drinking straw.

For a couple of minutes, the pair of them sat in silence – At least between them – as they refreshed themselves with cool liquid and enjoyed their drinks. Considering how energetic Mina was all the time, Izuku wasn't even remotely surprised that she consumed a ridiculous load of sugar – A part of him wanted to warn her about in-taking that much sugar, but he decided against it and opted instead to just let her enjoy herself for tonight. That and caffeine. In the short time that they had lived in the Yuuei dorms, Izuku had quickly learned that Mina definitely had a dependency on the caffeine provided by things like coffee and soda. He'd assumed that she was like many others, and needed a coffee to fully wake up properly, but it turned out she could go through maybe three cups a day if she really wanted to. It was no wonder that she had all the energy that she had.

A perfect display of her fondness for these kinds of products came about thirty seconds after Izuku made the previous observation, when she rapidly finished off what was left in her glass, already having slammed down the entire soda. A deep sigh escaped her, before she glanced at Izuku's drink and smirked.

"You've barely had anything." She pointed out.

"You've already drunk everything in your glass."

"I was thirsty." She paused, and then pointed at him. "No jokes."

"I… Don't… What joke would I make here?"

"Never mind." Mina picked out the straw from her glass, and then placed it between the index fingers of each of her hands, the finger covering up the hole on either side. "Y'know what we should do?"

"What?"

"We should do like they do in the movies."

Once more, Izuku blinked, utterly clueless as to what Mina was even suggesting that they do.

Although that confusion quickly sorted itself out when she plopped her straw into his orange soda and then wrapped her lips around it. She looked up at him with her eyes, just waiting for him to apparently do the same. Izuku blushed – Properly blushed – For the first time all night. "I - I – Wh - What?"

"Hah!" Mina sat up straight and grinned from ear to ear. "I knew I could still make you blush!"

"H-Have you been trying to do that all night?!"

"I've been trying it since we got back to Yuuei! You're harder to embarrass now." Mina's smile remained on her lips throughout the entire time she spoke. Her eyebrows narrowed downwards as her expression turned into one of smug self-satisfaction. "You're adorable when you're flustered, y'know."

"I - I am?"

"I've told you before dude, you are. Like I said though, it's harder to get you all flustered. At least for me. Hatsume seems to manage it pretty well though." She laughed as she remembered Izuku's expression at the intrusive girl's lack of the concept of personal space. "She grabbed you and you went up like a traffic was freakin' hilarious."

"I'm glad I can amuse you…" Izuku muttered, though he did still smile. He used the glass he had just emptied to try to cool his cheeks – Thankfully, it was still full of ice.

Mina just flashed him another bright smile.

The night went on, and the pair of them found themselves discussing a great number of things, ranging from the work that they still had to do at Yuuei, to ideas for what they could do for other dates, to sharing silly stories, and talking about their classmates. Mina brought up a number of upcoming video games that she wanted to try to get a hold of, as well as a second controller, so that she could try to teach Izuku how to play all sorts of games with her – Izuku had no doubt that Mina would absolutely obliterate him at pretty much any game that she and he played together, but he couldn't find himself too concerned about that. Izuku told her about some of the comics that he had read while he was in the hospital while she was sleeping – He hadn't felt right about reading them while she was right there, and had been there since he had been admitted into the hospital.

They both talked about how Yuuei was really starting to push its students, although both of them understood perfectly why. They both had the first-hand experience needed to explain why that was necessary. Mina suggested a few new move ideas, and some names that Izuku had no doubt that she thought sounded super awesome… But ended up in reality being way too long, complicated and convoluted to actually say. When she wound up sulkily muttering how he was probably right, he tried to help her come up with some better names.

Mina mentioned about how weird Yaoyorozu seemed to be acting lately – Quieter and more contemplative than normal. Izuku suggested that maybe there was something on her mind. Mina immediately suggested she was in love.

Before the pair of them even really knew it, they had ended up going through about five drinks each, and nearly two hours had passed.

Once Izuku noticed this, he gulped, and then checked behind the pair of them – The place had gotten a bit more crowded, and the music was still playing some high-beat tempo… Thing. Izuku barely recognized the genre, never mind the band, or the singers, or the song.

"Uh…. Hey, Mina? He asked, cautiously.

"Hmm?"

"I uh… I don't suppose you uh…" somehow, now that he was actually asking, the words became more difficult for him to get out of his throat.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I…. Uh… D-Do you want to dance?" He quickly forced the words out before he could think about them too much, feeling his cheeks redden and heat up as he got them past his lips.

"…You do realize this isn't exactly dance music, right?" Mina asked, quirking an eyebrow up. "At least, not the kind of dance I think you mean."

"N-No, I mean… I mean…" He pointed behind him, towards all sorts of people dancing without really any kind of prompting at all – No meaning, no instructions, just them moving their bodies to the rhythm, and letting them arms and legs swing in which whatever direction they felt like. "…That kind of dancing."

This time, it was Mina's turn to blink. "You wanna freestyle?"

"I-Is that what it's called?"

"Freestyle yeah – You just kind move and do whatever you feel like." Mina's lips curled into a smirk. "D'you even know how to dance?"

Izuku's face went redder.

"Oh – You're hoping I could teach you." Mina's smirk grew wider and wider. Quickly, she also came to understand his logic for coming here too.

Dancing was good for the body. Not ball-room dancing, or any of the other traditionally romantic styles of dancing that were associated with couples.

No, this kind of dancing, the kind Mina loved, was all about energy and movement, often gave those doing said dancing a complete workout. There wasn't grace as much as there was raw energy. Energy and a complete workout.

Which would double up not only as a fun date activity, but as physical exercise for their Hero training.

Mina wasn't sure what version of events amused her more – The idea that Izuku had chosen this place knowing this, or the idea that he'd done this without even realizing it. Her grin grew wider and wider. "Gotta say, Izu – This isn't what I expected from you of all people. DDR is one thing, but this is whole other ball game, y'know."

"I know…" He made eye contact with her, and put on a smile of his own. "But I'm willing to give it a go. I-If you want to."

"Oh, this is gonna be fun."

The rest of the night ended up being a flurry and array of dance moves, failures, and teaching as Mina tried to instruct Izuku on how to freestyle-Breakdance. As expected, he wasn't even close to being even a remotely competent dancer at first. He was all over the place, and his style of dancing was less what Mina would call dancing, and more what she'd call 'flailing around and calling it dancing'. She instructed him, demonstrated for him, and then eventually let him just go loose on his own for a while when she felt he had gotten the hang of it.

It was exhausting. It was hilarious. It was embarrassing.

And above all, it was fun.

* * *

 **Man, Awkward Energy has been away for a while – I had uni work, and then a trip to Europe to do, so I decided to take a break and focus on oneshots, and AE just kind of fell by the side-lines for a bit – But its here now, and I wanted to make this chapter just, above everything else, fun, and energetic. It's been nice to return to the same sort of feel that early AE had, and I have a couple ideas on break chapters like this I can do to make the story feel light-hearted again. Before turning darker, and then lighter again – MHA has been good lately, and it's put me in a fantastic mood. I haven't been this excited for MHA chapters since I started reading the bloody thing, so I hoped this chapter reflected that.**

 **Not really a whole lot for me to talk about this chapter – Just fun stuff is happening, and I'm hoping to get back into the swing of getting regular AE updates out again. This chapter is also kind of a reference to 12AngryMens Breakdance Buddies fic I finally got around to reading while on holiday – Which if you haven't read it, go and do that right now. It's amazing and I love it so much. Its fantastic and just go read it if you haven't. Just pure Izumina goodness ^_^**

 **In any case, I'll see you all next chapter – See ya!**


	65. Acid Launchers

It was easy to think of a full week of training as being tiring, or slow, or painfully dragged out. There were only so many times that one could punch a wall, or kick some dirt, or destroy something with a Quirk until the users started to question if they were actually gaining anything from the affair.

Mina found herself enjoying the work though. She was physically exhausted beyond all belief, and almost always, without exception, collapsed into her bed once the day was over, and found herself covered in muck and sweat, skin sore with how much she'd had to push her Quirk, over and over again, experimenting with how far she could push her range without the need of additional apparatus, and pushing herself to experiment with the new special moves she was working on. Some days felt like she was just bashing her head against a wall, while others were a bit better.

Her Acid Veil technique was coming in leaps and bounds, and she couldn't be happier with how it had come out. Altering the viscosity of her Acid had given her an entirely new method of attack and defence, and one she was certain she would be able to make the most out of in the coming trials.

Exhausting, but enjoyable. Maybe because anything was enjoyable after what they'd just gone through. Like some kind of shift in reality, she just somehow felt better about pretty much everything that she was doing over the last few days. Like she was improving, and doing something that was honestly worthwhile. Like with each time she fired off her Quirk, she was getting better and better as a Hero, and could do more and more if she needed to defend herself again.

The ache felt good, in a weird sort of way. It was like a confirmation that she really was pushing herself, and that her body was going to feel the benefits of the hard work.

To use an analogy that she knew her brother would like if he were here, she felt like she was levelling up a character before taking on a boss in a video game. Only in this case, the character was her.

Of course, in video games, it wasn't only the levelling up that would help the player against bosses. There was also the constant search for new and better equipment that would help the player utilize all of their newfound skills against greater challenges.

And that was something that Mina had found in her latest addition to her Hero Costume.

"So, what d'ya think?! They're cute, aren't they?!"

The devices were fairly large for what they were – Taking up most of the space on her forearms, and were more akin to a cross between doctors' gloves and gauntlets than anything else. The actual contraption of the devices was about an inch or two of some kind of black-coloured acid-resistant metal, which ended up resting on the top of her forearm. It was attached to a piece of durable fabric, which sported the same blue and purple camouflage that her leotard was made from, equally resistant to her Quirk.

At the end of the fairly streamlined material, there was a nozzle, designed to increase the range of her Acid, and give it direction.

She'd already decided on the name for them – Her Acid Rangers.

A smile made its way onto the pink girls face as she looked towards Hatsume. "You are an amazing mad genius, Hatsume. These look incredible!"

Lowering her head to her shoulder, Mina did the closest thing that she could do to looking down the sights of her Acid Rangers. The nozzle, and the rest of the device, was scaled back so that no matter how much she bent her fist back, she wouldn't have to worry about jabbing it against the metal. It was also designed so that when she wanted to fire, she just had to lower her lower her fist, and tuck it downwards, which would give her nozzle a perfectly clear line of sight against whatever she wanted to shoot at.

They were, frankly, perfect, design wise at least. Exactly what she had been hoping for. A way to increase the range of her Acid, without sacrificing her hands-free style of fighting that she had gotten used to. She could still throw glomps of Acid with the best of them, and now she could shoot concentrated shots…

…As far as she could push the maximum range on these things.

Pride was etched onto every single inch on Hatsume's face. She held a spanner above her heart like it was some kind of salute. "These babies should give you an extra few meters of range! Though I'm not sure exactly how far it'll let you push it."

"I should be able to figure it out from here – As long as they get me more than five meters, they'll be just fine." Mina grinned, examining the devices once more. She found herself excited, and eager to try them out at the first chance she got.

Hatsume insisted on going over just about every detail to make sure that her customer understood everything about the equipment that there was to understand. Going over safety settings, active and standby modes, which let her retract the nozzle and fold up the metal for when she wasn't using them, and going over how she needed to funnel her Acid into two separate points to properly utilize the device – All things Mina had been kept informed of throughout it's development. This was more for Hatsume's sake than it was for Mina's, the horned girl felt.

It was probably a good sign that a designer cared so much about her creations being utilized to the absolute maximum, but all Mina could think about right now was getting the opportunity to try out these bad-boys.

She had to get through about ten minutes of meticulous explanation, but when she was finally finished, she could have sworn that just about every single intricacy about them was now burned into her brain for the rest of her days. She thanked the eccentric support engineer, and darted her way out of the studio before anything else happened that would prevent her getting back to Quirk training.

There were only a couple of days left before they would be taken to for the Provisional Licence Exam, and just about everyone was putting their absolute all into it. What had happened had motivated them all to truly go beyond, and live up to their school's famous motto. Countless encounters with Villains had pushed them well beyond the easily mistakable concept of time. Before the year had started, they had a whole three years to learn to train, to evolve their powers, and become the best Heroes that they could be.

Now, they _only_ had three years.

A small, but crucial difference.

* * *

Mina wasn't the only one who had taken to upgrading her costume either. Kaminari and Kirishima had also seen Hatsume with ideas for their own Hero costumes. Though from what Mina could tell, Kirishima's seemed to be more aesthetically driven, while Kaminari's was more like her own – An enhancement of range via equipment. He had gotten hold of a launcher device that let him extend his range via some kind of eletro-magnetic round that conducted his Electricity along a direct path between him and where it landed. Since both he and Mina were Emitter types, it made sense that their first thought was to train their range.

A Transformation type like Kirishima wasn't really able to focus on range.

Though that still didn't mean Mina had any clue what his upgrade was aimed at. It was just sleeves. Was there an actual beneficial reason for them, or were they just aesthetic updates? She made a mental note to ask him if she got the chance.

Jirou and Koda also had advanced their costumes. Koda's was an obvious megaphone to increase the range of his voice so he could attract more animals to his cause, and Jirou's was based around amplifying her Quirks vibrations in much more devastating ways, adding speakers to her wrists in a similar way to the ones her boots had.

Others had been to see the eccentric pink-haired support student, to see if there was anything that they could do to improve their costumes. Iida and Uraraka had visited her, though it wasn't clear if they had gotten much out of the visit.

And of course, there was Izuku.

Now that just about everyone knew the truth about One For All, Mina could help but notice Izuku seemed to be putting in a lot more effort without even trying to, if that made even the slightest bit of sense. He seemed liberated, and less stressed over making up excuses and hiding behind the development of his power. He was putting more effort in, but it didn't look like he was trying to. It was hard to explain.

Anyone who saw him understood – He was a totally different person than he was back at the start of the year, crippled with confidence issues and anxiety. He still suffered those, but he had learned extensively to push himself beyond them. Of course, the entire year had been him slowly working towards doing that, but the benefits of which were just now starting to be seen. Now that he didn't have to lie about his Quirk, he could put that energy back into training, and the results were certainly becoming more and more positive for it.

When Mina re-entered the gym-slash-training room, she could already see him in the corner, practicing his Shoot-Style, with his new, bulkier support braces for his legs. He was leaping from point to point, and striking at the new cement targets wherever Cementoss created them. He was almost like a rabbit. Kind of like how The Rabbit Hero fought when Mina saw her on TV, only with the trademark 'Deku' spin on it. It was pretty spectacular to see.

He was storming ahead. Mina smirked. She didn't intend to let herself get left behind by the other half of Team Awkward Energy.

"Hey, Cementoss!" She called out and waved, trying to get the Cube-like Hero's attention. "I need something to practice with, please!"

Adept with his Quirk befitting a Pro Hero, the Cement Quirk user complied without having to even look at Mina, or slowing down any of his contributions to the other students' training. Within just a few moments, cement made its way over towards Mina's area, and formed itself in the shape of an archery target, complete with rings, and a bullseye, in the form of slight indents in the material.

Mina looked at her equipment, and grinned as her hand balled up into a fist, and she turned the device into active mode. She lowered her arm, aimed, and fired.

Unsurprisingly, she missed the first shot. She barely hit the target, most of her acid skimming over the top of it. She was firing from a point about two or three inches higher than she normally would be, and she was aiming for a precise target, which was unlike her normal 'carpet bombing' style of Quirk usage. This required strict finesse.

And she had put far too much power into the strike – When she shot acid from the nozzle, it entered a kind of barrel from her forearm, and shot out of the nozzle, like a firing mechanism. How fast and how far the acid would go depended on how ferociously she forced Acid through that mechanism. At closer ranges, she could afford to be a bit more lax with the sheer amount of power she put into her attacks.

At range, she needed to channel a lot power into her shots. And she'd vastly overestimated how much she needed to put in.

On top of that, she was generating Acid on specific points on her forearms – Which wasn't something she especially did, naturally. She'd gotten used to how much her hands and feet needed over the years, her forearms weren't exactly a limb she considered when she was training her Quirk. It was kind of like if a weight-lifter had spent years working on their biceps, and then suddenly had to change up their entire work-out regimen to focus on their abdomen. It would take a bit of time to adjust.

She blinked, and then tried again.

Shot after shot of her Acid was launched, with varying success. She experimented with different types of acid, and different power outputs, trying to figure out which one was best. The less viscous was quite quickly established as being the vastly superior one in terms of range, and while it took longer, a rough estimation of how much power she needed to put into her shots was also discovered. That was the easy part.

Getting used to aiming slightly lower than she thought she needed to was the trickiest part of this, especially when she tried to fire without aiming – In most cases, it didn't seem likely that she was going to have the time to aim at a select target, so she practiced without the accuracy a bit, a bit like she saw happen in old, western films. It would take up most of her time for the next few days, but she figured that she could come up with something to compensate before the Provisional Licence Exam.

It didn't take her long to get ideas for that kind of technique either.

Small shots worked well, but she was also able to generate acid and fire it out of her nozzle for longer, creating a kind of hose-stream like effect with her Acid. With this, se was able to compensate for a lack of accuracy, and could cover a wider area without letting anything get close to her.

And that was all in roughly the space of half an hour. She was figuring out her new devices in a rush for the upcoming exams. It made her wonder what other uses these things would be once she actually had some proper training to go with them.

"Hey, Mina!"

The young girl looked up from her training to see her boyfriend approaching her and giving her a small wave, a big smile covering his face. He looked like he had a couple of bruises, and his costume was dusty from all the cement he'd been destroying. He must have kicked through enough to destroy a building by this point.

"Hey, Izu. You finished for the day?" Mina asked, switching her Acid Rangers into safety mode - Just to be on the safe side. These things would need to be washed for any residual Acid after being used. She didn't want to risk him accidentally burning himself on her Quirk.

He had enough injuries as it was.

"Just a short break." Izuku answered, before taking a proper look at Mina's new support item. A smile that carried both feelings of pride and wonderment appeared on his lips."I saw you working with them a bit."

"What'd'ya think?" Smirked the Acid Quirk user, holding out the device on her left arm for Izuku to get a closer look at. "Looks cool, doesn't it?"

"They seem to be really helping you out with your range issues." He noted, running his hand over the metal of the device.

"Well, they will when I need 'em. Like you said, I don't wanna end up relying on them too much." She couldn't hide how pleased she was with the end result though. "These things're gonna make dealing with a lot of enemies a lot easier though." She looked up at him, and then gently tapped his chest with her reached out fist. "How 'bout you? How's your new kicking style working out for you?"

"He's got a hell of a tough kick!"

Both of the curly-haired teens looked towards an approaching Kirishima, showing off his teeth as he grinned at them.

"Ah, Kirishima." Izuku greeted the red-haired Hardening Quirk User. He received a firm hand on the shoulder as a response to that. He explained, "Kirishima and I did some one-on-ones."

Mina blinked, and then looked between Kirishima and Izuku. "I must've missed that."

"It was only for a few minutes. And you were pretty focused on your training."

"More focused than I've ever seen you on anything."

"Watch it, Kirishima." Mina warned, with a playful, lightly amused smile. She glanced between her boyfriend and the Hardening Quirk user, and wondered why the pair of them hadn't paired up for exercises before. "Makes sense you two'd pair up, now that I think about it. You've got pretty good Quirks for training with each other."

Kirishima's Quirk focused primarily on defence, but he had a limit as to how much he was able to take before he would lose the shielding that his Quirk gave him. And going against rocks wasn't going to help him in that regard.

At the same time, Izuku was getting used to a new style of fighting, focusing on his legs. It was an untested combat style when it came to fighting against other people, and it was certain to have many exposed flaws once he went up against people.

Training together, the pair of them would be able to home in on their strengths, and figure out their weaknesses much faster, as their Quirks and fighting styles essentially forced them to hunt for their opponents' weaknesses in order to stand a chance.

"Until my Hardening can't keep up. Then I end up with bruises." Kirishima rubbed his right cheek once he finished, Mina only now noticing that he had a fairly large bruise there.

"Y-You sure you're alright, Kirishima?" Izuku asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah. I'm good. I mean, I literally asked for it, so I can't really complain."

"What happened?" Mina asked.

Izuku bashfully rubbed the back of his head, and his expression ranged between guilt and embarrassment. "I uh… W-When we were doing some one on ones, I was jumping from the cliff-sides, and accidentally put a bit too much power into one of my kicks, and… Kind of hit Kirishima in the face."

"And sent me flying into the nearest wall." Kirishima added.

Mina couldn't stop herself from smiling in amusement. "Ouch." She chuckled. It wasn't so much what happened that made her laugh, but rather the blunt, straightforward manner Kirishima had presented it, and awkwardness Izuku was showing over it.

It was the same logic that made someone laugh when their friend tripped up. It really shouldn't be funny, but it was all the same. Mina almost felt bad for chuckling, but the fact Kirishima seemed just as amused alleviated that. Even Izuku had a small smile on his face, even if he was apologetic.

"S-Sorry –"

"Stop apologizing. It's cool dude. There's no point holding back. We aren't gonna improve our Quirks by pulling punches. Or kicks, in your case. Besides, it'll heal up before long."

"So, what're you working on, Kirishima? I didn't think there'd be much you could do with your Quirk aside from getting it to be tougher." Mina blinked and tilted her head in question. Hardening was a cool Quirk, but she couldn't think of any ways that she could improve it herself. It was straightforward, but limited fundamentally. She was interested in what he had in mind.

"That's pretty much what I'm working on. I wanna tank more hits for longer. There isn't really much else I can do with my Quirk, but All Might said I should focus on what I've got and just try to force my way through stuff. So, that's my plan."

"That's… About what I expected, honestly."

"Like I said. I don't have a ton of options."

" _ **Fuck off and die!"**_

A crackling blast suddenly erupted overhead, as the sound of an intense and enormous explosion eradicated whatever target Bakugou had been training with to absolute smithereens. The three of them turned their heads upwards, towards the plateau the Explosion Quirk user had claimed as his own training grounds, seeing smoke rise from the smouldering wreck that was once either a clone of Ectoplasm, or a thick piece of concrete made courtesy of Cementoss.

"…Is it just me, or does he sound more pissed off than usual?" Mina asked, blinking a couple of times as some light debris landed a small distance away

Over the last few days of training, Bakugou had been just as active as anyone else, launching off explosion after explosion after explosion, destroying pretty much anything that had the misfortune of being his target. As was normal for him, he was working at breakneck pace, demolishing anything in his pursuit to become stronger and stronger.

People gave him a wider berth than usual though. And there were two reason. The first being that none of them wanted to get in his way when he was on the warpath with his training. That had pretty much been the standard since first met the guy.

And the other… Was the revelation of his treatment of Izuku. It had changed their perspectives on him. Changed what they felt about him. And what they felt was…

…Difficult to pinpoint.

Hatred wasn't the word to describe what they felt towards their classmate. They were all concerned enough about him during the rescue operation, and none of them wished any specific harm to come to him. But at the same time, the revelation changed things a bit, and made it harder to morally ascertain what they thought about him. The best word would be uncertainty. Bakugou had always been the odd one out in 1A, vicious, anti-social and violent in a class full of people who were calm, friendly, and more than happy to socialize with just about everyone else in their class. They had grown used to his vicious ways, and had grown to believe that his bark was far bigger than his bite. He never seemed to act on his treats, and after a while, people just stopped taking them seriously.

Given the new information that Izuku revealed about his Quirk, and the revelation about how Bakugou tormented him… It was a fundamentally damaging image to have of someone. There really wasn't getting around that.

It… Changed how people looked at him. Some felt more hostile than others, and others…

Others didn't know anything at all.

"…Hey, Midoriya? Can I ask you something?" Kirishima questioned, not taking his eyes away from the plateau.

"Huh? Uh, sure. What is it?"

"…What's your deal with Bakugou?

Mina felt her eyes open up wider.

"Huh?"

"I mean… What d'you think of him?" Kirishima clarified. "We all knew that you weren't exactly friends, and that he had some kinda problem with you… But I didn't think that it ever went any deeper than that. I don't think anyone could've guessed that you were Quirkless before you came to Yuuei, but….As anti-social as he was, it just seemed insane to think that someone who got into the Hero Course was as vicious as he was to you, especially when you were Quirkless… And you defended him still. Yuuei could've kicked him out if you said the word, but you didn't… So… Why?"

For a second, Izuku didn't respond. He just kind of stared back at Kirishima, and then looked up towards Bakugou's training platform. He watched as a few more explosions went off as his old childhood friend trained, and pushed himself harder than he'd ever seen before.

"…I don't know if I've explained it before to everyone, but I do… Admire Kacchan, for how strong and tenacious he is. I didn't have a Quirk, but… Pretty much all my life, there was this person with an incredible Quirk, and someone who just refused to slow down or stop, and wanted to become as strong as he could to become the next big Hero… He was basically everything I wanted to be. I think that's why I stuck around him while we were younger. And… That hasn't changed."

Izuku looked away from the platform, and down towards his gloved hand, like One For All was a visible entity for him to look at.

"Even after everything that he's done, I've never stopped wanting to surpass him. And… I can't do that if he's not here. That's… One of the selfish reasons I didn't want to get him thrown out… But that aside?"

He looked towards Kirishima, and towards Mina.

"…I think people can make mistakes. And I think that if someone is trying – I mean, really trying – Then… they should at least be given a chance to see what comes of them." He scratched the back of his head again. "T-Though I guess, since we were both kidnapped, I might have a more lenient view on him. He – He did help me escape a-after all, so I guess maybe I-I feel like I owe him a little… But I… I want to see what he'll do. And if… Well, if anything can change between us."

The real reason was that there was no one reason. There were little bits of different reasons that added up together for when he made his final choice. Feelings that he'd adopted over the years, thoughts that he'd carried throughout most of his abused life, and slightly maybe even warped feelings of what his relationship with Bakugou was. Mina couldn't necessarily say she agreed, but she could understand why Izuku felt that way.

Kirishima looked at Izuku, and then he looked up at the plateau.

"… _ **Hey, Bakugou!"**_

There were a couple of seconds before his yell got any response. Bakugou stood on the edge of his standing, looking down at the three of them. He seemed to pause for a few seconds, before shooting down a "What the fuck do you want?!"

"Ashido's back and I think she and Midoriya need to go over some team stuff, and I need a training partner! How strong d'ya think your Quirk is after all that training?!"

"First thing you say to me in weeks and you're already making me wanna kill you?!"

"So, that's a yes then?!"

"Izuku couldn't help but smile and even laugh as both Kirishima and Bakugou yelled at one another. For a little while, it felt like nothing had changed.

Not for Izuku, anyway.

Mina… She didn't know what to think.

* * *

 **It's a shorter, more filler-y chapter that sets up some stuff I wanna do with Kirishima over the next major arc – I'm trying to be as faithful to Kirishima as I can, but he's honestly kinda tricky to figure out in this scenario. He's tricky to do with what I've got planned, but i think this is better than my original plan for him.**

 **Sorry that the chapter is so short and kind of fillery. It's been a busy week for me at Uni, and I just cracked my writers block. And sorry that it's been a while since AE came out. Similar issues prevented me from getting stuff out. With any luck, a fresh start on a chapter next time will be better for me.**

 **Until then you guys, I'll see you later. See ya!**


	66. Talks And Operation Night In

Bouncy, hyperactive, and upbeat music filled up just about every corner of Mina's room. The beat was fast, and the rhythm spontaneous. All the lyrics rapidly came after one another from all the various members of the band, though Mina couldn't make heads or tails of what was actually being said.

K-Pop was a genre of music that Mina usually enjoyed – Though admittedly, when it came to music, she wasn't all that particular. Dance, techno, rock, English, Japanese, or in this case, Korean. It was always the beat and the tune that suckered her in and had her jumping and dancing around the room.

She moved her body along with the music as best she could, making the absolute most of all the space she had in this enormous, new room. There wasn't any particular dance she had in mind – This was just freestyle. Moving her body in whatever and whichever way she felt like, and letting her lose herself in the moment.

It served as a great distraction.

The room was bigger, and that let her do more than she would have been able to do at home. If she wanted to try out her break-dancing at home, she'd need to go into the living room, and no doubt she'd end up with her brothers mocking her, her moves, and her taste in music – In good nature, as all barbs shot between the Ashido family were, though they did tend to shut up when Mina challenged them to step up and do better. It was nice to not have to worry about other people watching her, or having to worry about breaking something that someone would end up getting mad at her for. That had happened too many times to her. Far too many for her to be proud of.

Of her many hobbies, dancing was probably one of the ones that Mina enjoyed the most. She loved the energy that it needed, and that the music made her feel. It threw all her worries and concerns out the window – There was just her, the beat, and about a thousand ways to break-dance that stood between her and a fantastic performance. It was generally a fun way of keeping fit on top of that, which had ended up helping her out a lot in her pursuit of becoming a good Hero.

Always, things felt better once she'd busted out a few moves.

Except for today.

Right now, she was just breathing heavily, and feeling sweat run down her face, stick to her hair, and then that wet, sticky, and now cold hair resting on her forehead. Her limbs felt sore. She had opted to do this after a long day of Quirk training, which she didn't often do, for obvious reasons. Her body needed time to recuperate from the exercise, and it wasn't getting it.

Mina didn't care too much though. She wanted the distraction. But dancing wasn't working.

She couldn't blame the music either. It wasn't like it was tracks she had heard a hundred times before. This was a new album, directly from Korea. It was brand new, with songs she hadn't even heard before. A gift.

The horned girl sighed. She was irritated, and conflicted, and she didn't know what to do, or what to think about it.

As her breathing managed to calm down, she heard that outside her room, someone was banging against the door, probably as hard as they could. "Yikes." She muttered to herself, realizing that the music was probably on slightly loud, and that whoever it was had come to tell her to shut it up, or turn it down.

Quickly, she hit the pause button on her computer, made her way to the door, and opened it up.

"You uh… Enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, Izu, it's you." Mina said with a small sigh of relief.

Izuku tilted his head slightly. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"To be honest, I half thought Uraraka was coming to tell me to shut off my music."

"What was that, anyway? I don't think I've ever heard it before."

"TFG. They're that K-Pop band I showed you."

"…I thought they didn't have albums outside of Korea?"

"Not released yet. My cousins sent them over for me. I just got it in the post this morning."

For a moment, Izuku paused. "Cousins…" Then he remembered, and snapped his fingers as he did so. "Oh, right. Your mom is from United Korea, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Guess aunt Nari and aunt Gyuri are a bit behind. They sent them back home, and mom had to send them here. Speaking of here, you know you're allowed to just walk in, right?" The pink girl offered him a smile, and opened the door wide for him to walk though. "C'mon in. You brought the stuff?"

The Quirk Inheritor walked into the room, pulled the rucksack off of his back, and placed it on the bed. "Soda's, candy's, snacks… More… Substantial and nutritional food. Everything you asked for."

"Awesome. Operation night-in is a-go!"

Lessons had been difficult over the last few days, and between the pair of them, Izuku and Mina had decided that in order to relax a bit, they would have a lazy evening together, which would be filled up with video games and movies and TV shows and who knew whatever the felt like. Izuku even offered to finally watch some of the horror films Mina had been just dying to show him ever since they first got together.

He had gone out to buy the supplies. Mina had been in charge of setting up all the entertainment devices that they were going to need. The game system Micha had gotten her, and all the games that came with it, plus a couple she bought out of her own pocket, were all hooked up to the TV and were ready to go. On the bed, what could only be described as Fort Pillow had been constructed by Lady Mina, and was prime warm snuggling architectural mastery.

…It really was such a shame that Mina could just feel her bad mood was going to end up taking president over their ability to have a good time tonight.

"I got a bunch of cherryade and orangeade… And I bought a few energy drink cans. I thought you'd like them… And if you lost in the games, you'd blame not having enough caffeine."

After everything that had been revealed, and everything that they had all gone through to rescue Izuku and Bakugou…

"Sour candies, sweet stuff… I also got… These."

She could just not understand why, at the very first hint, or the first nice words said about the guy…

"Uh… Mina?"

Why would Kirishima just go right back to Bakugou?

"Mina?"

"Huh?" Mina blinked and looked up at Izuku. She realized suddenly that she hadn't been paying attention to what Izuku had been talking about. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and her hands had balled up into fists. She hadn't even noticed that she had been doing any of it either.

It just sort of… Happened.

Both of them looked at one another for a few moments, unblinking and pausing at their eyes glanced over one another. Izuku had unloaded most of what he'd bought, and he had some piece of confectionery in his hand, covered up mostly by his fingers and thumb. His expression didn't make any attempt to hide that he was curious as to what was had caught her attention.

"Are you okay?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

His question made Mina pause for a moment. Before, she would have said that it was fine, and that it wasn't anything to worry about. That it was just a silly little thing that had entered her head and that she had just thought about for too long. She would have dismissed it, and insisted that Izuku do the same.

That, of course, was before the kidnapping.

Everything built up before then, due to the simple fact that the pair of them didn't know how to talk to one another. They struggled to fully explain their feelings, their thoughts, and what was bothering them, and it led to so much emotional strife, worry and concern, that it all boiled over into something it didn't need to. She remembered seeing Izuku in the hospital, and thinking that if she had done better, and talked with him more, she might have been able to do something.

…Hiding how she felt wasn't going to solve anything. Even if it brought the mood down a bit… Izuku wold want to know.

"…It's Kirishima." She said, letting out a small sigh.

"Kirishima?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

"I'm…. Really angry with him." A pause. "I think. Irritated might be better? Maybe? I… I'm not sure."

Izuku paused for a moment, before throwing the candy in his hands onto the bed, and sitting down on the edge of it himself. He looked at Mina, and made a gesture with his head to motion her to sit down by him. Mina did so, and felt Izuku's hand rest on her shoulder.

"Go on." He gently encouraged.

"…You know I went to middle school with Kirishima, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I say we went together – We just went to the same one. I barley even knew he existed. I've told you about that whole thing with the Villain and Kirishima talking to me and my friends the next day, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well that was… Virtually our entire relationship. The guy wanted to be a Hero and I was interested in how he was gonna do that. Obviously, he did get in, and, well, here we both are." Mina paused, and looked back on her middle school days. They were fun, and less stressful that a single year at Yuuei, that was for sure. "The thing is, I was pretty sure he was gonna be a good Hero. He put the effort in, and tried to do this whole new image… Thing. I mean, it was obvious he was trying to leave behind an image of himself he didn't like, but after a while in Yuuei, I thought he might've been getting somewhere. We both went to rescue you. I treated him like crap and he was still willing to help me… "

She sighed.

"…And then this whole Bakugou thing happened."

"Bakugou?"

"Everyone finally saw what kind of person he is. They finally got it – If one good thing happened from that entire mess, it was that shape-shifting girl exposing his crap. Kirishima did too… But, the first – the first chance he got, he went straight back to him."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Mina was referring to the pair of them training together again today.

"You say one half decent thing about Bakugou, and Kirishima acts like he's just been waiting for the excuse to hang out with the guy again. And this is someone who tried to take on bullies in our middle school for God's sake – I just don't – I don't get it. I thought I knew the guy, and it's just turned out that he'll only follow principles when it suits him, but if someone he's friends with turned out to be like that, he'll make exceptions?"

"They only trained together today, Mina."

"How much d'you wanna bet that they'll be hanging out again by the end of the week?" She grumbled. "The guy's a hypocrite."

She wasn't wrong. Izuku had a feeling that they would be. But that didn't -

"…You wanna know something kinda scummy too?" Mina asked, a bit quieter, and seeming to be a bit smaller than a moment before.

Izuku didn't answer. He just let her talk as she needed to.

"…I'm almost glad that they are."

Mina's hands intertwined, and she sighed.

"…I actually feel bad for Bakugou. The guy tormented you for years and years, and… And I really do hate him. I really do. The guy doesn't even have the decency to thank you for trying to save him and getting yourself kidnapped in the process, and… Just… Everything. You know what he's like…. But I… I felt bad for him.

I felt bad because he was so alone after he got back. The guy barley leaves his room anymore, and people look at him like he's a monster. I wanted that. I really wanted him to just be some… Monster that people knew, instead of being praised for being oh-so good at absolutely everything. I wanted people to see him for what he actually was. To actually… Know what he was. And now they do, and they turn their backs on him, and…

….You know he's not a social person. And I don't think he'd ever admit it… But… How lonely has that got to be? Everyone just turning their backs on you, and it's not even for something you admit yourself. And… The fact I feel like this… What's that say about me?..."

Having even the slightest bit of sympathy for her boyfriends bully - What on Earth kind of person was she?

"…I'm… Really glad you told me this."

The pink girl looked at her boyfriend. Those… Weren't necessarily the first words that she had expected to hear.

Nor was a smile the thing she expected to see.

"I'll… Be honest with you Mina. I do have… Some anger towards Kacchan. Of course I do. I had to deal with everything he threw at me for years… But I've never wanted him to have his life ruined. All I wanted… Was for him to just… Acknowledge I was a person. That's all. I still do want to think of him as someone I could… Get along with. But of course I'm angry with him. It'd be weird if I wasn't."

He smiled, and looked ahead.

"…Part of why I said what I did to Kirishima was because I… Kind of hoped that he'd go and talk to Kacchan."

"Y-You did?"

"Yeah. Leaving him on his own, he'll just get angrier and angrier… That wouldn't help anything. Especially not after what happened to us… And… To be honest?"

Holding up his hand, like he was holding something within it, he said,

"…I sympathized with him too."

His hand fell to his knees, and he drummed his fingers against the joint.

"It's… Kind of similar to what happened when I learned that I didn't have a Quirk. Something beyond my control suddenly meant that I was looked at differently than everyone else. Like everyone thought they were… Above me? Better than me? Like I was beneath them, and there wasn't anything that I could do about it. Something… Similar happened to Kacchan. And its not something I wanted to happen to him. Not like the way it has. I wanted Kirishima to talk to him… Cause… I didn't want him to have to deal with that." A laugh. "Although if I told him, that, he'd probably kill me."

He looked at Mina, and smiled.

"You asked what not liking seeing someone be alone said about you. I think it means you're just a kind person. And I'm really... Really glad that you are.

Mina couldn't help but smile slightly. If there were any limits to the altruism that Izuku had in him, and the kind, forgiving nature that he exhibited, Mina doubted that she'd ever live to see it. He seemed like he could forgive just about anything. Or at the very least, he wouldn't ever wish harm on someone for the things that they did against him. He was just… A good person.

Able to sympathize with his bully, and it not being due to him doing so out of fear or conditioning… Izuku really did have an empathetic heart. Still…

"…I dunno if I'm that willing to forgive. But if you're fine with it…"

"…How do you feel about it?"

"….I don't know." She admitted. "I still am annoyed with Kirishima, cause being so willing to go back to how things were still says something about him, but…" She paused, and then found her words. "… I guess I'll just… Have to see what happens."

"…If you're happy with that."

"I wouldn't say happy, but, it seems like it's the best I can do."

"…You alright?"

"…Better. Sorry, for, y'know. Bringing it up now of all times."

"Don't be. I'm really glad that you did."

Letting her head fall against his shoulder, Mina closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. It hadn't exactly been a light conversation, and certainly not the way that she had intended for the first few minutes of Operation Night-In to go. But she was glad. Glad that she had spoken up.

They had learned from the mistakes they had made, she felt. And that made her feel better.

She allowed her hands to rest on the bed for her to lean on, when she felt something hard against her bed-sheet. Mina wrapped her hands around it, and brought it in front of her. And then laughed.

The candy Izuku had been holding onto. "You're the biggest dork in the universe, y'know?"

"H-Huh?"

Mina grinned and showed what she had found – The candy that Izuku had thrown onto the bed before they spoke. A hard sugar candy which was branded 'Love hearts.'

* * *

It was truly baffling. Jaw unhingingly, eye openingly, word failingly baffling.

By all measures of comprehension, Mina still could not understand it.

How?!

How the hell was Izuku better at games than she was?!

She'd ended up playing them for most of her life thanks to her brothers. Between her and Micha, the pair of them being the best gamers in the house, she had about a fifty-fifty win ratio with him at the best of times. And Micha was the kind of person who spent just about all his free time playing games – She knew how to tangle with the best of them, especially on the games.

So how was Izuku, someone who barely touched games, so universally better than her at them?

"How?!" She asked aloud, flabbergasted at the 'You lose' text on her half of the screen.

"Mina, I – I really don't know what to tell you – "

"I will literally pay you anything if you tell me how you're doing this, Izu."

"I honestly do not know."

He really didn't seem to know either. He looked just as confused as the pink girl herself was, blinking at the screen, then his hands, and then the controller.

"A-Are you using the combinations?"

"It's a fighting game, Izu. You could throw the controller down a flight of stairs and get the same result."

"…Then, how am I winning?"

"Because shut up."

Izuku laughed. Mina had a competitive streak when it came to her games. He knew that she wasn't serious.

The young couple had spent the last hour having rounds against one another on the fighting game that came with the console Micha gave his sister. It was a roster of about forty Heroes from abroad, with names and Quirks neither of them had seen or heard of before. Mina had been able to hear the cogs in her boyfriend's head as he stored the information for note-taking later. She had positioned herself with her back against his chest, and her head tucked underneath his chin – Though that did mean she was more laying down that she was sitting up. Izuku's arms were around her waist, and he rested his head on top of Mina's.

Around them, the built-up pillow fort, and around them, blankets, keeping the pair of them nice and warm. Around them, candy wrappers and food containers.

Games weren't the first thing that they had gotten into. First, the pair of them had decided to watch a movie. Horror related so, as Mina claimed, it would be out of the way and neither of them would go to sleep with that on their minds. She knew for a fact Izuku had hidden behind her head at least once, but for the most part, he'd been a good sport and soldiered through it as best he could. He even managed to get to the end of the film, though he'd needed many hugs afterwards. Mina set up the fighting game afterwards, and it seemed to have taken his mind off of the Abnormal Occurrences movie.

Only now he was kicking her ass without even fully understanding how.

"…Maybe we should play something else." Izuku suggested, still laughing gently.

"You beat me at DDR, arcade shooters, and now, fighting games. I'm starting to think that you're gonna beat me no matter what we play. I thought I had _good_ reflexes."

"I-If you keep practicing…"

"Izu, are you seriously about to tell me that playing video games and improving my reflexes is going to help me become a better Hero, and becoming a better Hero with better reflexes will make me better at video games?" Mina smirked and looked up at him. He had been about to suggest that – Mina knew him well enough to know what had been going through his mind.

He blushed. "W-Well…"

Mina laughed. "I mean, you're not wrong, but that has to be the nerdiest way I've ever heard anyone suggest training for Heroism. Open up." She quickly found one of the 'love heart' candies, and popped one into Izuku's mouth, before he even had a chance to ask her what she was doing. "You earned that one, you dope."

While he blushed again and started to chew, she relaxed and rested against his chest again, and snuggling up between him, and the covers. It was warm, and comforting, just being able to do silly things like this. It was like their date earlier on in the week. Just something… Silly, and fun to do. Even if she was slightly annoyed by the fact Izuku seemed capable of beating her in one of her favourite pastimes. Just some dumb fun, that made her feel like she was in school, and not constantly in a race against time to save someone's life.

She just got to have fun with the person she loved. She couldn't really ask for more than that.

"Another round?" She asked, looking up and grinning.

"Y-You sure?"

"I'm gonna beat you this time, Izu. Your streak of victory ends tonight."

It didn't.

* * *

By the time the pair of them got tired enough to stop playing games, and to put on something a lot more relaxed than a horror film, it was eleven at night. They wound up watching some anime that came from America. Something to do with four nations, that was all Mina knew about it when she suggested it to Izuku, and she somehow doubted that either of them were going to remember anything about it when they woke up.

She could already tell that they were both drifting in and out of consciousness, and that it wasn't going to be much longer before they eventually just blacked out and were done with it. Izuku was still holding her by her waist, and she still had her back against his chest. Now though, they were laid down on the bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets on top of that, watching a screen with less and less consciousness as the minutes passed by.

It had been a fun night. Movies, games, jokes and fun. It was everything that a date or a night in should be. After all the training… Mina was glad.

Glad that they had put the time aside to do this. Tomorrow was going to be a hectic day, after all. They both needed this. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and she was glad that they would approach it from a relaxed standing.

Mina allowed her eyes to close.

"…Mina?..." Izuku muttered something against her neck, where his head seemed to have snuggled into and made its place there.

"Mmm?..."

"…Love you."

A smile emerged on Mina's lips. Her hands reached down to her waist, and placed themselves on top of Izuku's gently.

"…Love you too, Izu…"

Both of them fell asleep shortly thereafter, both with smiles on their faces.

* * *

 **Man writing fluff for AE is fun.**

 **I had to rework a lot of what I planned with Kirishima – A, because I've relaxed a bit towards him (A bit) and B – My original plan, I realized, was really going to tear him a new one, and that didn't fit with the feel I want this story to have, and C – I couldn't do it without making Mina look like she utterly lost her mind, so, I went this route, and I feel this is just better in nearly every possible way. It's more relaxed, and more fun, and It shows a bit of the growth Izuku and Mina's relationship has had since it's beginning, and how they've learned from past experiences. I'm honestly happy with this little chapter.**

 **TFG - I wonder how many of you get the reference. As for Mina being half United Korean - I'm an enormous Unionist and when boiled down, think that Earth should just unite and get on with it, since it's an inevitability. Mina being United Korean was just a head-cannon I came up with not long ago, and ended up really liking it, hence it's inclusion here.**

 **Next chapter will be setting the motions in place for the next arc I want to tackle – And thanks to the help of several people who got in touch with me, I think I'm confident in saying that it's going to be a good arc.**

 **If you want to support me and the stuff I make, I have both a Pat Reon and a Ko - Fi account, both under the name QuirkQuartz. Supporting me there is by no means required, but it's highly appreciated, and I only want you to support me on there if you want to. You can also follow me on Tumblr, for more updates on things that I do, and how stories are progressing.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter – And I'll see you next time – See ya!**


	67. Unjustifiable

Izuku really was the most adorable person ever.

That wasn't exactly a controversial statement coming from his girlfriend, but that didn't make it any less true. He really had to be the single cutest person on the face of the planet. In terms of looks, he wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't what anyone pointed to him at in awe over.

No, that came down to how he acted, and the kind of person that he was.

Even thinking back on it, Mina couldn't make herself not grin from ear to ear.

Yesterday had been one hell of an eventful day for her, and for their entire class as a whole. After training like their lives depended on it for the full week since they got back to Yuuei, the ends to which it served finally arrived – The Provisional Licence Exam.

Pretty obviously they were the odd ones out. Not only were they from Yuuei, which was just about as legendary as schools came, but they were also the only first years that were taking the examinations. Just about everyone else was in their second years – With a few exceptions, like that one windy guy who had seemed to have a personal beef with Todoroki – they had all trained for this moment for a lot longer than any of them had done. Given how many times they ran into Villains, and needed some kind of legal defence if they had to use their powers in case they ran into more, Mina wouldn't argue that it made sense, but she also wouldn't say that this knowledge filled her with a ton of confidence.

All the training in the world wouldn't help when who knew how many schools out of how many desperate people were gunning right for them from the beginning. Izuku had pointed out that the major disadvantage Yuuei students were at was that everyone in the country knew what their Quirks were, and given that only a small number of applicants would be accepted, they were going to take every single advantage that they could get, no matter how small or how out of the way it was.

The entire thing had been one miasma of conflict and drama, one thing after another. Originally, everyone except Bakugou, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Kaminari all stuck together to act with a safety in numbers mentality, although their enemies quickly took that advantage away from them. Skill and teamwork ensured that they managed to get all the points that they needed to pass onto the second stage – Rescue operations.

Long story short, it took them a lot longer to get going there, but just about everyone managed to pass that segment too – Except for Todoroki and Bakugou, who had failed. In Todoroki's case, quite spectacularly. Ironically, given the sort of loud person he was, Bakugou's failure was fairly quiet. Besides them, everyone in 1A managed to get hold of their Licences.

What tickled Mina was the fact that pretty much the moment Izuku got hold of the licence itself, he started crying and took a picture of it to send to his mother and All Might. She could only imagine what messages he sent along with those pictures, but she could only assume that they were pure gold.

You couldn't get cuter than that. He was the biggest, most emotional dork she knew. Everyone else was celebrating and cheering about how fantastic and proud they felt, and he was in the corner quietly crying out of happiness and sending a picture of his accomplishment to his mother and his mentor. No doubt he was rationalizing away in his head that he owed this achievement to so many different people, when he was the one who had put the effort in and truly earned it.

The guy was so happy that he cried and wanted to share that with people he felt the closest to.

Mina suggested that they take one together, and showed off their licences. She knew that her brother would love some ammunition to tease her with, and her parents would enjoy hearing from her.

Izuku didn't hesitate either, like she thought he might have done. No, he was completely on board with the idea the moment that she suggested it.

The pinkette girl looked over the picture she took of them. They had one arm wrapped around one another's waists, and they were holding up their licences with their other hands, Izuku's just in front of his chest, and hers right to the side of her head, like she was comparing the image they used, and her own face. Mina was the one who squished her face against Izuku's, but he didn't seem to mind it at all. She opted to wink for the camera – She probably would have had her own eyes shut if it wasn't due to a need to actually see the picture she was taking. Combine that with a setting sun around them?

She was tempted to print it off and hang it on her picture board. If she could find a printer, she absolutely planned on doing so. It was a lovely picture that just made her smile.

After everything they had been through their term break, after everything that the pair of them had gone through together, and after how their world had been so drastically changed in the span of just a month, Mina knew that she wasn't going to forget this summer, ever. She doubted that anyone honestly would.

Having something to remember their achievements, even if it was something as minor as a single photo of them showing off their licences – It felt great. It was hard to explain.

So much had happened this summer. So many important things, so many things that changed not only her personal life, but the lives of pretty much everyone not only in Yuuei, but in all of Japan. Maybe even the entire world. And she would remember it all. But this photo was maybe the only physical thing she would have to prove that she had been there through it all. And she was in it with Izuku. And there was something insanely comforting about that.

Tomorrow, it was back to their regularly scheduled classes, and she wouldn't mind admitting to a certain feeling of apprehension. After everything, would their classes be the same as they were before, or did Yuuei have even bigger changes in the curriculum in store for them? They were already being pushed beyond the established limits of first years, so who knew what else was going to be thrown at them.

Izuku had to have rubbed off on her though, because she couldn't help but find herself looking forward to seeing what came next. No matter how difficult it was going to end up being. She felt optimistic, eager, hopeful.

Ready to prove herself, now more than ever.

"Hey, Izu, y'want me to send you a copy of this picture?" She asked, smiling at him and holding up her phone to show him.

Looking up from his own phone, Izuku took a second to glance over the photo again. He smiled. "Yeah, please."

Mina smiled, and loaded up his number on her phone and began to send the photo. "All Might said anything yet?"

"Nothing yet. He might be busy… My mom messaged me though."

"What'd she say?"

"Uh… Imagine crying, but through a text." Instead of elaborating further, he just showed Mina his phone screen – His mother had sent him about seven messages, four of those just being random combinations of letters and symbols and numbers in various combinations. Izuku and Mina both immediately thought the same thing – That as opposed to using her fingertips to type messages, she had ended up crying, and the tears had reacted with her phones touch-screen and created incomprehensible messages. The remaining three legible ones being incredibly emotional, clearly hastily written messages telling her how proud she was of him.

Both he and Mina laughed. "Seriously Izu, your mom has the best reactions ever." As she wrapped up her sentence, Izuku's phone made a dinging noise, indicating he had a new message. A tiny icon of Mina's face popped up in the corner of the screen. "Ah, looks like the picture sent."

Izuku turned his phone back around to him, opened up the messenger app screen and saved the image onto his phone. Quickly he typed in a few keystrokes, and, presumably, sent the picture to his mother alongside s short message. He then paused for a moment, and then tapped the screen a few more times.

He then turned his phone back so his girlfriend could see it – He had set the image as his screensaver.

"It is a really nice picture."

Once more, Mina smiled at her boyfriend, with a hint of a blush at her cheeks, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Dork. That's the kinda thing I'd do."

"I thought you already had a picture of us as your screensaver?"

"Nah, I changed it a few days ago to a picture of you snoring."

"W-Wait, what?!"

"You were very loud, dude."

"W-Why?!"

"Cause if I had to suffer though that, you're gonna suffer the embarrassment of it."

Apparently considering that to be a defeat, Izuku allowed his head to slump on top of Mina's. his forehead gently tapped against one of her horns. Despite it not hurting in the slightest, he still decided to say, "Ow."

Looking up without moving her head, Mina asked, "You okay up there?"

"….I didn't know I snored… I-I'm sorry."

"You spent like, a week on IV tubes dude, don't worry about it. You're not too bad anymore." She smirked. "I kinda lied anyway. It's not really a picture of you just snoring."

"O-Oh. Wait, then, what is it?"

Unlocking her phone, Mina showed him. "It's a picture of you snoring, and also me laying next to you."

In image, Izuku was sleeping, and his mouth was hanging open. Mina was laying next to him, glancing at him with her golden eyes, and with a smiling-grin on her face that showed both exasperation and amusement. At the bottom, her hand could be seen, pointing towards Izuku as if to say, 'Check out this guy'. It looked exactly like the kind of image one would send to friends…

….He decided he didn't want to know who had seen that picture.

"…Why, though?"

"Cause A, it's funny, and B, you're adorable."

"Um, excuse me?"

Both teenagers looked up from their back-and-forth to see who it was whom had addressed them. For a moment, they half expected it to be Iida, giving them a lecture about Public Displays of Affection – They were in the middle of the lounge, after all.

They were close though – It was Yaoyorozu, looking somewhat embarrassed at interrupting the two of them.

"Oh, hey Yaomomo." Mina greeted, resisting the urge to pop her head up to address her face to face in case she poked Izuku with her horn accidentally. "What's up?"

At the start of the year, Yaoyorozu had seemed to be very uptight and by the books a kind of person. Intelligent, but almost to the point of showing off. Like everyone else had done, she had relaxed with time. Nowadays, there always seemed to be two very distinct Yaoyorozu's at any one time – The one who was still zealous, yet helpful and caring about her classmates, while the other seemed to still battle with bouts of no confidence, and concern about her own ability.

The worries of the latter were unfounded, especially after the help she had been in the rescue operation regarding Izuku and Bakugou. She might have internal struggles with herself, but as far as Mina was concerned, they had been disproven in every way that mattered.

Right now though, it seemed like the latter was the one in front of them. "I, um… I'm sorry to interrupt, but… I was wondering. Midoriya?"

Izuku blinked. "Yeah?"

"I was… I was wondering if I could have a word with you in private."

"Huh? Uh… S-Sure, Yaoyorozu. I-Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" The Creation Quirk user glanced at Mina, and blinked awkwardly a couple of times. "Its… Just that it's a personal matter."

Neither Izuku nor Yaoyorozu on poor terms. In fact, since Yaoyorozu was friends with Mina, the two of them had had a fairly good relationship early on in the year– They just didn't talk to one another all that much. It wasn't like there was some big reason for that. It just didn't happen. So understandably, he was a bit confused by her request.

It seemed that true to his nature though, he wanted to assist her if he could, even if that boiled down to just giving her advice. He nodded at her, and got onto his own feet. "Will uh, this take long?"

"I… Can't imagine it will take too long."

"Okay." He turned to Mina. "I'll uh, be back shortly."

"Alright."

The Acid Quirk user smiled and gave a gentle wave as the two of them walked off. Mina wasn't particularly upset that Yaoyorozu didn't want her involved in whatever personal issues she had going on. She'd had her own issues that she'd more or less spilled out onto everyone, whether they had wanted to her them or not. Some people just weren't as open as she was about their issues, and she intended to respect that.

Not that that was going to stop her from theorizing though. She couldn't keep the smirk off her face as she already started coming up with all the possible odd and weird ideas regarding their conversation.

Quickly though, and probably unsurprisingly to just about anyone who knew her, she homed in on the focus being 1B's Kendou.

During their first term, Yaoyorozu and Kendou's friendship was something just about everyone had noted. Being in similar positions within their classes, and serving under the same tutor in the internships, the two had had the chance to get to know one another fairly well. And they seemed to actively keep this friendship going when they returned to their regular classes at Yuuei.

Lately though, Mina had caught onto the hints of deeper feelings running between the pair of them. Active, cheerful conversations between the two of them, almost always finding them together, a degree of skin ship that neither seemed uncomfortable with.

Yaoyorozu's face going a light shade of red just being around Kendou. Kendou seeming about fifty percent more fidgety when around Yaoyorozu.

Stealing glances at one another.

The writing was on the wall. The only people who probably didn't see the signs were hermits living in caves away from all known civilization, and Mina doubted any of them really existed in this day and age.

So, was Yaoyorozu asking Izuku for advice on how to attract or date girls?

That'd certainly be one hell of a good reason to want to speak to him, and him alone.

If that was the case though – Oh boy, was Mina going to have fun teasing her about it once everything got sorted. She was already lining up the jokes and jibes she'd be able to use. Excited giggles made their way from her lips. She just needed the excuse.

"Racoon Eyes."

Her good mood found itself cut short when she found herself being addressed with that term.

Even if she didn't recognize the voice, there was only one person who referred to her by that name, so she knew who it was without even looking around. Her head did turn on instinct anyway, and saw that in her thought process, Bakugou had approached her.

As well as Kirishima, right by him. Considering what had happened over the last few days – Kirishima seeming to patch up his friendship with Bakugou even in spite of the revelations – Mina had plenty of conflicting thoughts about him that she didn't know what to do with. So either way, she wasn't exactly keen of who was in front of her right now.

"Ashido." Mina flatly said, almost exasperated that she had to re-inform Bakugou of her name. Others might be fine with his nicknames for them. She wasn't. "What d'you want?"

For all the annoyances and resentment that's he held towards Bakugou, Mina didn't want to piss him off, or start a fight. While that was more for Izuku's sake than her own, she wasn't a big fan of fighting to start with. And as negative a view on him as she held, he had been through just as much as Izuku in the last few weeks. She wasn't in the habit of kicking people while they were down.

But she was going to be firm. That wasn't going to change in the least.

"Where's Deku?"

"His name's still Midoriya."

"His name could be Marrow the Martian, for all I care. I just want to know where he is."

"At this exact moment, he's busy. He's talking with Yaoyorozu."

"Yaoyorozu? What the hell is he talking to her for?"

"What difference does it make? What d'you want him for, anyway?"

"Just tell him to find me once he's done with whatever he's talking to Yaoyorou about, would ya? I need to speak to him."

"What about?"

"Did you grill creatie chick this much about what Deku talks with them about?"

"Yaomomo doesn't have a 'colourful' history with Izuku."

Throughout the exchange, Kirishima seemed to have grown more and more uneasy, watching the pair of them exchange jabs and words like he was just waiting for one of them to launch at the other with Quirks at the ready. At no point in this had he seemed calm, but there was something about Mina's final sentence that made him quite visibly flinch.

Right now, the topic of Bakugou's treatment of Izuku was a sore subject for anyone. People wanted to keep on living their lives without being subject to guilt for even associating with the Explosive teenager, but none of them wanted to hold what he'd done before they even knew him against him. Didn't the fact that he got into Yuuei say something about his Heroic values?

No one really knew. That was why no one really spoke of it. Really, the next move belonged to Izuku. And he didn't seem to be in much of a rush to make the next move. He tolerated Bakugou still being involved in classes. He spoke to the teachers in defence of letting him stay in classes.

But did that mean he would hold it against people who wanted to give Bakugou a fresh chance? How long was long enough for a person to be punished and made a pariah over something like this?

Really it came down to Izuku to make that call. Kirishima knew this, and right now, if this conversation went poorly, and Mina spoke to Izuku of it, that could affect his judgement of that, if he wanted to exercise that right. And what came out of Bakugou's mouth next would determine what Mina said to Izuku. And given Bakugou's temper and abrasive personality….

….No one really expected what came out of his mouth next.

"…You know what Deku told me? Back when we were being held hostage by the League?"

Both Mina and Kirishima felt their breaths hitch. Neither Izuku nor Bakugou really spoke about their time with the league. They explained it to the officials, relayed information, yes.

Never about it though. Never about what they did during that time, and certainly never about one another. To be kidnapped in the way that the pair of them had been, to live like that for what to them must have felt like weeks, terrified and uncertain about what was going to happen to them… No one blamed them for not talking about it.

And now Bakugou was talking about it.

"After I learned everything about One For All and where he got it, he told me he told you about it not long after you two started going out. And he told me why he never told you he gave a damn about you." A pause. "He's fixed that now though, hasn't he?"

Mina didn't say anything, but she didn't really need to. Anyone who saw the pair of them over the last week knew that there was a new spark in their relationship. Something that had happened that revitalized everything, and brought them even closer than they had been before. Izuku admitting once and for all, verbally, that he did love her had been the cause of that, and them finally talking to one another, and making certain rules and agreements between one another to avoid the kinds of anxieties and troubles their prior lack of which caused… In the long run, it made them happier. Much happier.

"….I've got my own shit I wanna say to him." Bakugou stated firmly.

There was a lot less aggression in his voice with that one. Noticeably so. Whenever Bakugou spoke, it was often filled up with a background feeling of seething anger or annoyance that he even had to be speaking to anyone at all, anti-social as he was. Irritation that he had to ask anyone for anything at all. But that wasn't here.

Not today.

Something about him seemed… Different. Calmer, in a sense. Given the fact that just today, he'd failed to attain his Provisional Licence, that said a lot. Mina had expected half the dorm building to have been torn apart by him. Now he was just…

…Calmer.

Was this something to do with Kirishima's influence? Or was this something that he'd reached entirely on his own? Or a mixture of the two?

What did he even want to talk to Izuku about?

Why?

Many questions existed in her mind… But none of them were particularly hers to deliberate.

"…I'll tell him you're looking for him." She conceded with a gentle nod. "What he does then is up to him. That's the best I can do."

It seemed to satisfy Bakugou. He nodded back at her. "I'm gonna be in Gym Gamma. For a few hours. Tell him that's where I'll be until later this evening."

"Right."

Bakugou grumbled something underneath his breath, before he turned and walked away, shovelling his hands into his pockets and marching to no doubt train like it was the last night of his life in preparation for his second chance at attaining a Provisional Licence.

Undeniably, something was different about him, but Mina couldn't for the life of her, pinpoint exactly what that was…

"I think that was a 'Thanks'." Kirishima said, letting out a sigh and folding his arms. "Well that… Went better than I thought it would."

"What, did you think we were gonna end up throwing punches at each other?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it were possible. It wouldn't be the first time."

The Lodge, Mina remembered, both she and Bakugou had come very close to actually straight up attacking one another. She blinked as soon as she realized that.

What a difference a few weeks made.

"He seems…. Different." Mina noted, tilting her head slightly.

"A good different or a bad different?"

"A… Calmer different. I don't really know what to think otherwise to be honest."

Kirishima nodded in his understanding. Anyone could tell that this wasn't the same Bakugou that they had entered the year with. There was something about him that had changed. For the better or the worse.

Given that he seemed to have toned down his language, and was trying to be amenable… It couldn't be all that bad a change, at least.

"You say something to him?" Mina asked.

"I mean, we talked a bit. Us and Kaminari."

Like Kirishima, Kaminari seemed to be one of the people in 1A who voted to give Bakugou another fair chance of things. Kaminari claimed that Bakugou seemed to regret things had gone the way that they and suggested that they give him a clean slate. That was why he had joined Kirishima and Bakugou during the Provisional Licence's first trial.

At least, Mina assumed that was why Kaminari had gone with them. She was half sure that he'd just joined them out of panic, but that didn't depend entirely on his stance towards Bakugou.

"I dunno. He seems to have his own stuff he wants to say to Midoriya though. I don't know how much help we were."

"I don't think it could have hurt."

"Yeah, well…. I figured that I owed Midoriya one. Especially after the last couple times."

"Couple?" Mina raised an eyebrow at that particular word, and glanced at the Hardening Quirk user. "What's that supposed to mean"?

Kirishima shoved his own hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Y'remember the week before our semester exam?"

"The one we both failed?"

"That's the one." The sharp toothed boy nodded. "Y'know he and I studied together. He tutored me on a few things. I'm pretty sure that he helped me actually pass the written portion thanks to that."

"I remember you saying something about that."

"... What I didn't mention was that we ran into some of his old classmates once."

Old classmates of Bakugou's. By extension, that meant old classmates of Izuku. The people who had tormented Izuku. Mina remembered running into some of them during the early days with Izuku.

And that was an experience Kirishima had shared?

…

…Where exactly was this going?

"We talked for a bit, and well…" Kirishima bit his lip between his teeth. It was hard to fully gauge what emotions he was feeling himself at the time. There was conflict in his expression, and both morning but optimism in his eyes. "…We talked a bit about what their middle school lives were like with both Midoriya and Bakugou there. Bakugou was getting drinks, so, he couldn't really stop us… The long and the short of it is that the two of them more or less admitted to bullying Midoriya." A sigh. "Actually, they admitted to pretty much their entire class picking on him because they thought he was Quirkless."

Mina had seen the school herself. She remembered seeing it while walking along with Izuku to visit his house for the very first time. She remembered his expression clearly.

One of poor memories. An apprehension to the building altogether. He remembered it all clearly.

"The two guys who I spoke to – They seemed to really regret everything that happened. I told them that they'd make Midoriya's day if they got in touch with him and let him know. I don't know if they ever did…." Kirishima paused for a moment, before he spoke again. "….I didn't think Bakugou was involved."

This time, Mina look right at him. "You what?..."

"I mean, I know they didn't get on, but I didn't think that Bakugou was involved in…. That. He got into Yuuei, didn't he? Wouldn't his middle school keep a record if he acted like that? They wouldn't let him in, right?..." Kirishima sighed. "…I didn't realize that he was actually involved until that shapeshifting Villain revealed what she did."

Thoughts ran rampant inside Mina's head. Kirishima knew?

Kirishima had been basically told right to his face about what Bakugou had done, and still chose to side with him? Time and time again, even since the semester exam, he'd been shown proof of Bakugou's hostility towards Izuku.

And he somehow believed that Bakugou was the exception in a story told from an involved, third source?

This was the guy who had tried to fight against bullies in middle school, and made some big statement about how he was moving past everything that had held him back?

And he was seriously, for the second time now, getting buddy-buddy with a bully? Someone who he now knew for a fact had tortured a Quirkless kid for over ten years?

"….Lemme get this straight." Mina said quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose. Hard. "You got told by people who went to middle school with both Izuku and Bakugou that Bakugou tormented Izuku for having a birth defect, said nothing about it to anyone, assumed he wasn't involved, got told by a shapeshifting Villain that it was true, freaking _slapped me_ when I thought that shapeshifter was Bakugou and was revealing a bunch of important crap about One For All."

She moved her hand. Now her voice was rising.

"And now you're hanging out with him again even after _you know all of this?"_

When it got put laid out like that – None of which was untrue – It sounded bad. Really, really bad. And as far as Mina was concerned, it was bad.

Made worse by the fact that Kirishima looked like he was going to defend himself. For a moment. For one moment, he looked fully really to justify himself. "I…"

Then he stopped. He bit his tongue, and closed his mouth. Because he realized exactly how it sounded, and when put as bluntly as that, what defence even was there?

For her own half, Mina couldn't, frankly, believe what she had just heard, or witnessed. "You didn't think to, I don't know, ask Izuku? Get his opinion? Check if they were telling the truth?... Forget that, did you even ask Bakugou about it?! To even check if he'd own up to it?!"

Kirishima gave her no response.

"What… What the hell do you expect me to do with this, Kirishima?" She asked, looking at him with a mixture of…. She didn't know what.

Misunderstandings happened. Miscommunications happened. False assumptions happened – All of those were easy enough to do, and easy enough for absolutely anyone to make those simple mistakes. And when they were mistakes, all one needed to do was correct one's self. There was no harm done in that alone. That was easily forgivable.

But if she was understanding this correctly, Kirishima hadn't done any of that. Worse, he hadn't even attempted to do any of that. He'd just… Decided that faith was apparently good enough. Good enough to not even question Bakugou.

This from the guy who spent his middle school years acting as a wannabe mediator against bullies?

This from the same guy who told her to her face that he was leaving that kind of crap behind him?

This from the guy whom she'd had disagreements with, yes – but she had developed respect for, owed a great deal to, and worked together to rescue both Izuku and Bakugou?

She…

She didn't have the words. She didn't have the emotions. She had emotions, certainly, but none that she understood.

She didn't have even the first clue what she was supposed to feel.

Anger? Betrayal? Confusion? Understanding? Hope? She felt all of them to at least a measure. No person was perfect, no – But how the hell did you screw up this badly when you had each and every opportunity to correct your mistakes? Even now, he refused to lay down the law with Bakugou – Instead running to re-join him like nothing had changed.

Instead, now she didn't know what she saw when she looked at Kirishima.

They both spoke at once.

"….I don't even – "

"I thought that I – "

"Hey, Mina, look what Kacchan just gave me."

Both of them turned to see a perplexed looking Izuku holding up a pink slip of crumpled up paper with some scribbled writing on the front. He was scratching his head at the paper in his hands, like he was trying to figure out some kind of puzzle.

Then he looked up. "Oh, hey, Kirishima. I – I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Mina and Kirishima looked at one another, and for the first time, Mina didn't recognize the person she was looking at. She recognized him even when he dyed his hair and restyled it – Now she didn't know who she was looking at.

In the back of her mind, she knew that she might just be overreacting to a mistake Kirishima made…. But a larger part of her knew that Kirishima had had nearly every single opportunity to correct his wrong, and still didn't do it. She didn't know what to say to him anymore.

…She didn't know if she wanted to say anything to him anymore.

"…We're just about done anyway, Izu." She said, turning her back on Kirishima and walking towards her boyfriend. "C'mon, I wanna see if I can beat you at Hero Fighter tonight." She put her hand on his shoulder, and gently pulled him back into the corridor, leading him away from the room.

"Eh? Uh, sure. Uh, bye, Kirishima!"

Mina didn't spare a look back.

* * *

Up, down, kick at the legs.

"So, you ran into Bakugou?"

Deflect, punch, punch.

"Yeah. Me and Yaoyorozu had just finished talking and we kind of ran into each other… Literally. He said we needed to talk, so…"

Jump, drop-kick, back.

"Well, I guess that explains why you took so long."

Drop-kick, drop-kick. Player two wins. At this point, Mina wasn't surprised anymore.

She put her controller down, and tilted her head. "So, what'd he give you?"

Izuku held up the pink piece of paper. On it, were two words.

'Baku-Token.'

The pink girl raised an eyebrow. "Baku-Token? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It came up when he mentioned me talking to the teachers on his behalf. He said, if I needed something… I get one." He pointed at the paper. "…Then he crumpled it up, threw it at me, and left."

"That… Sounds about right. I'm amazed he didn't call it a 'King explosion murder Token' though." Mina sighed. "I seriously can't believe I missed him apologizing. I've been harping on at him to do that for months."

It had been quite a remarkable story, and made Mina wonder just what it was that she had missed. For someone like Bakugou to swallow his pride like that…

There was no doubt it had to be something to see.

"I'm as… Surprised as you are." Izuku admitted, though he couldn't hide the smile that was on his lips. "It… It felt good to clear things out a bit more."

"You forgive him?"

"I… I'd like to give him a chance."

"Of course you do."

"W-What's that mean?"

"Nothing." Mina sighed, and smiled. "It's just… That's a very _you_ thing to do. It doesn't surprise me all that much, that's all."

"Oh. You uh, want to play another round?"

If she were being honest, Mina wasn't all that interested in games right now. Her thoughts were more or less entirely focused on what she had just more or less dragged Izuku away from. The more she thought about it, the more concerned she became.

She wouldn't mind admitting that she did admire Kirishima's determination. He hadn't gotten into Yuuei without hard work and sheer passion. Even with a simple Quirk, he had outranked her in the entrance exam without even breaking a sweat. He had surpassed her in nearly every area for most of the year, and it was thanks to Izuku's help that she was starting to catch up again.

To learn about this, like she had done… She hadn't known if she was angry or disappointed more. If she was more betrayed than she was hurt. She couldn't be in the same place as him. She had needed to put some distance between him and her.

No pleasure came from remembering all the times he had helped her. The Lodge, the hospital, the rescue operation – All of them had led her to conclude that he was a good guy, who put his money where his mouth was. That he wasn't like some other guys, who talked a big game, but couldn't walk the walk. That he was a friend.

And what she learned made her question that.

…No, she was beyond questioning it now. She had calmed down. And she had decided.

She was angry.

Angry that despite having had every chance to prove himself a man of his word, he had turned his back on the conviction he spoke of. Angry that when given all the information and proof he could ever want, he still went back to Bakugou like he was still a friend and a good person – What had happened between Bakugou and Izuku just now was irrelevant. Kirishima didn't know Bakugou was going to apologize! He would have mentioned that if he knew, surely!

Angry that she had considered him a friend in the first place.

He claimed he and Kaminari had said something that made him want to talk to Izuku. That was all fine, but that didn't change the fact Kirishima had known about this for months, and had only now decided to actually say something. He had even been prepared to just let Bakugou go off when it seemed like their relationship had reached an all-time low, without ever confronting him about what he'd done.

How was she supposed to take that?

She had left him in that room the way she did because she hadn't wanted to hear his excuses. She wanted to try and see if there was, in any way, some sort of thread of logic that she could find that she could use to justify his inactivity. And then she wanted to see if what she came up matched what he said.

But she couldn't think of anything. Because she couldn't justify it in any way. She just couldn't.

Part of her had wanted to. And she had jumped through some loops to try to justify it herself. Tried to see things from the point of view Kirishima might have had – Maybe thinking he could change Bakugou by being his friend? Maybe thinking he'd be worse if someone wasn't there to hold him back? Maybe thinking that if he just had someone to talk to…

…That was all speculation though. And even if it were true, it didn't justify it.

It didn't justify not even asking Izuku about the truth. Not when he knew something was up. She couldn't think of a single reason why he wouldn't at least ask.

…Unless he just didn't want to hear the answer.

Of everything she had considered, that was what really sold her on anger. The idea that Kirishima had just decided that he hadn't wanted to hear the possible alternative. Of knowing that he could be associating with someone with a past like that, who hadn't made even the slightest effort to amend that.

And just refusing to because he didn't want to believe it.

Yet the more she thought about it… The more likely that seemed.

"Mina?"

"Huh?" Mina blinked, and turned to Izuku. "S-Sorry Izuku. I was… Thinking, is all."

"What about?"

"Uh… Just, stuff. Something me and Kirishima talked about is all." She smiled, and picked up her controller again. "Another match?"

"Uh, sure." Izuku blinked, and asked again, "…Are you sure you're alright?"

A pause.

…

"Yeah. Everything's fine, Izu."

* * *

 **Wait don't leave yet.**

 **Okay so this is the thing I've been talking about regarding Kirishima for a while now – This information is from the light novels, and it kind of makes Kirishima seem… Like a bit of a dick. The canonicity of the novels is debatable – Since Kohei has neither confirmed nor denied it (He said the movie is canon, but vigilantes isn't, to my knowledge, so the light novels are in a weird place) I like to think that since they don't interfere with the main story, that the reader can take them as canon or non-canon – And I prefer to take them as canon, since that's more MHA to explore. Even if it includes** _ **this.**_

 **While I have issues with Kirishima, even outside the light novels, I do want to portray him fairly – He is fun, and I can't deny I've been frustrated with him less and less lately - As such, I have a plan for him, and I think it's a good one, so, please don't assume this will develove into Kirishima bashing from hereon out. I think that once the fully arc has played out, you'll agree that this chapter, for all the slaps to the face it gives Kirishima, was worth it for the end result. So please, bear with me on this, and I promise you won't be disappointed.**

 **Anxiety over this chapter had made me hesitant to write this chapter, which is why an update has taken so long. So please forgive me for that – Look, it'll be worth the wait, I promise. I am confident saying that I think the next arc will be better than the canon (Though with Overhaul, that ain't hard)**

 **You'll notice that Momo and Izuku spoke – I'm gonna tie that part into Handcrafted – So if you're interested in that conversation, keep an eye on that story over the next couple of chapters.**

 **I also wanted to thank everyone for their kind words in regards to Article 13 and Brexit – Lots of people came forward to offer support and understanding. I'm going to keep on writing until the very end – But you might want to follow me on Twitter and Tumblr (Both QuirkQuartz) for updates and news from me if things change.**

 **So with that, I hope you all enjoyed – And I'll see you all next time – See ya! (Please don't hate me for this chapter I swear I'll make it up to you all)**


	68. Intern Consideration

Hero internships.

Hero…. Internships…

Internships…. With Pro Heroes.

…Hm.

Maybe it was because of just how hectic the last few days had been, or maybe it was because of the memories of what had happened the last time he'd gone on an internship with Gran Torino. Maybe it was because of the kidnapping, or his relationship with Mina.

So much was different from just a few months ago, that Izuku sometimes struggled to recognize his own life. If someone had told him what his life was like now – That he'd be dating Mina, the pretty hyperactive girl from his class, that everyone would know about One For All and his Quirkless origins, and that Bakugou would apologize to him, all in just a few months – he'd think they were absolutely insane. If he was given all the detailed specifics about the last few months, he'd think whoever was telling him about it had lost their mind.

He struggled to recognize himself sometimes. There were still factors about him that remained the same as always. He still occasionally got flustered when he was talking to Mina or he was being lauded with praise, though he had improved on that front. But that was a lot rarer these days. After everything he'd been through, suddenly talking to girls didn't seem like such a big issue. After a lifetime of being pushed and shoved around, he had lacked much sense of self respect, even after getting into Yuuei. He had Mina to thank for that change. After everything….

…After everything, he had nearly destroyed himself from the inside out.

Once more, and that could be the end of his chances at becoming a Hero. Maybe it was that thought that was making him pause.

….No, it wasn't that. While he knew it was dumb, he also knew that, when push came to shove, he'd do whatever it took to save someone – Anyone. And he couldn't save anyone if he let the fear of what could happen to him control him. And he was well beyond the point of letting fear control him now. There wasn't anything quite as scary as being helpless at the hands of Villains.

If anything, that motivated him even more. That feeling of helplessness and terror at the hands of someone who had no ethical boundaries restricting them to getting what they wanted… He knew what that was like now. Granted, he'd always had a feeling of something similar thanks to Bakugou's torment, but this was different. He wasn't letting fear make him pause this time. He'd never been more motivated to become the best successor to All Might as he could.

So, what was it?

What was making him pause?

Izuku didn't know, but he found himself seriously thinking about internship placements.

Initially, it had only been incredibly briefly mentioned during the principle's speech at the beginning of the new term, and it was primarily in reference to the second and third years. Aizawa had explained it in homeroom afterwards – A formal work placement with Pro Heroes, that took place outside of school hours. Somewhat like the Sports Festival internships, only this version didn't permit the days off and freedom from study that the sports festival did. So, they were essentially like formal part time jobs that you took alongside your schoolwork.

First hand Hero work. Real Hero work.

While he was possibly the only exception, Izuku knew from just about everyone else that the Sports Festival connections had been a lot more like showing up as guests than being potential future co-workers. Then again, back then, society hadn't been shaken by the loss of All Might, and as Aizawa had explained, those were aimed more at making connections than formal Hero work – Even if it had been something that had wound up getting Izuku, Iida, and Todoroki all caught up in a fight with the Hero Killer.

A great deal of debate had gone on behind closed doors before the teachers decided that, if following a rule of good track records with interns, first years would be allowed to pursue them.

Those with Provisional Licences, anyway. Bakugou and Todoroki weren't eligible for placement – Something Bakugou was verbally displeased about.

Izuku had Gran Torino to call, and he had his phone in his hand. Right now, he was just hovering over the contact details in his phone. All it would take was a single tap, and he'd be talking to All Might's tutor again. If he would have him, Izuku could find himself with a formal internship which could greatly benefit him and his options once he graduated. What was making him pause?

He wanted an internship. After everything he'd faced and gone through and learned, he couldn't afford to just sit back and hope for the best. He needed to be out there, doing everything in his power to become the very best Hero out there. He owed that to All Might, to the previous users of One For All, and himself, after everything he had put himself though.

….More than anything else, he felt he owed it to Mina. And that might be wrong of him to feel that way, but he couldn't help it. Without Mina, he wasn't sure if he'd be here right now. Something about that made him feel guilty about now feeling he owed it more to the man who gave him his Quirk, but…

…It was like All Might had fired the starting pistol, but Mina was the one he was running the race with.

Maybe that was why he was hesitant. He and Mina were supposed to be in this together. Team Awkward Energy was still a thing, even if they had failed the vocational entrance group. They would try again.

And maybe they should be taking these internships together as well. Maybe that was why he was hesitating to call.

Would Gran Torino accept the pair of them as interns? Taking on two people was a lot different from taking on a single person, to be sure, and it would probably end up being more expensive on top of that. That didn't even involve the fact that Mina wasn't even tangentially involved with One For All aside from both knowing about it and dating the current holder of it. The last time they spoke, Gran Torino mentioned that he had only ever gotten his licence so he could use his Quirk freely, and one of the reasons or doing that had been so he could help train All Might. He was willing to teach Izuku because he was All Might's successor.

That wouldn't apply to Mina. Given the kind of person that he was, he might even see her inclusion there as being a detriment to his own training.

Then again, maybe that wouldn't be an issue. This wouldn't be training, strictly speaking. It would be a workplace internship, so Gran Torino wouldn't need to teach her anything. And it wasn't like Mina didn't know about the secrets behind One For All.

… Would that be fair to Mina though?

Assuming Gran Torino was fine with taking on even one intern, never mind two, would it be fair for one half of them to be subjected to being what amounted to a hanger-on? Hero Teams like theirs were supposed to be equals in all things. Yes, they had specialization, but that didn't mean one could be more focused on in training.

One For All was an unusual Quirk, and Izuku still had a long way to go with it before he could state with certainty that he had made it into his own. But he couldn't ask Mina to put her own development aside just for his sake.

….Then again, wouldn't that be better than nothing?

If Mina couldn't get an internship with her own connections, wouldn't going somewhere be better than going nowhere?

Today had certainly been proof of that.

He thought back to the third years that the class had been introduced to today – The Big Three as they seemed to be known as - The top student at Yuuei. All of them had internships, and all of them were reported to be exceedingly powerful…. If a little eccentric.

One cripplingly shy guy by the name of Tamaki Amajiki, who made Izuku in his middle school years look positively social with a thousand friends, and one exceedingly hyperactive girl called Nejire Hadou, who made Mina seem relaxed - And who Mina had to almost fight off to get her away from prodding and poking at her horns.

The standout without question was Mirio Togata. Easily, he was considered to be the strongest of the three of them by the other two's admission, and he had demonstrated that strength with one of the biggest shows of force Izuku could have ever conceived.

He had clobbered just about all of 1A in under a couple of minutes.

His Quirk, combined with his skill at using it, and just how much he had clearly trained when it came to his Quirk, was on full display as he took out everyone he perceived as the biggest threats – The long-range users – In just a few seconds. Izuku hadn't even been able to see the man as he shot between him and Mina, gut punched the pink girl, and then moved onto Sero, then Jirou, and then Shoji, and anyone else who could attack from a distance. Then clobbered all the close ranger attackers with roughly the same amount of ease.

And with a Quirk that was, frankly, terrifying. Not from what it could do – It was a Phasing Quirk, kind of similar to Mina's younger brothers - But from what it did to its user. Make them unable to breath, see, or feel anything aside from a falling sensation…

The weakness of his Quirk was obvious as well – At least, to Izuku. If he wanted to harm someone, he had to turn back into a solid mass, so that would make his time to strike the time to strike against him – But he had even prepared for that. That was how he ended up leaving Izuku a pile of winded flesh on the ground before him.

Mirio had credited the development of his Quirk in no small part to his internship. Real experience, acting like a real sidekick to a Pro Hero – Those had helped him become someone who was so strong, he seemed invincible, even with such a flawed Quirk. It put everything into perspective for everyone, Izuku especially.

He wanted to find someone he could intern with. But he couldn't intern alone. He couldn't leave Mina in the dust like that.

Izuku sighed. Thinking about things like this wasn't going to get him anywhere. If he wanted to get anywhere, he was going to have to start making inquiries, and see what happened.

Maybe he'd get lucky, and something would work out for him.

He hit the call button on his phone, and awaited a response.

* * *

 **This is a short chapter, is late, and is mostly filler – For that, I really do apologize. I'm currently still going over exactly how I want the next scenes to play out and how to make everything make sense. This arc is going to be a big one and I want to make sure things go well.**

 **Plus I'm dealing with a few things on the side and, I've had a lot of time just kind of sucked from me, and I've been going through some stuff – I apologize for that.**

 **Getting this arc right is seriously important to me – I've hated, with a passion, the Overhaul arc and just about everything involved in it. Straight up, unfiltered hatred - So I consider getting this arc right to be me putting my money where my mouth is, and showing how it could have been made a million times better. So, while I'm sorry this chapter is short, know I plan on putting my everything into smashing this arc right out of the park.**

 **Also, because I need to mention this, because this is the first chapter of 2019 -**

 _ **1,000,000 reads on AE from** **January** **1st on Fanfiction. Net**_

 **That is... goddamn mind boggling. Thats more than some countries have people - That is insane to me. So thank you - thank you all so, so much for reading AE over these last couple of years - And I hope that what I have planned will justify the following this story has.**

 **(I know a lot fo you don't read this on FF . Net - But i still kinda felt like sharing cause without wanting to brag - I'm kind of proud of this, eheh.)**

 **I'll see you guys next time for the start of that – See ya!**


	69. Talking

"It doesn't strike me as too likely that Sir will be willing to accept two of you! He'll interrogate just one of you hard enough!"

That had been… About what Izuku had expected. Part of him wished that it hadn't been delivered in such a happy-go-lucky sort of way. This wasn't exactly news that he was happy to hear.

The last couple of days had been a mishmash of calls and connections and talking to people to try to arrange some sort of internship for both him and Mina. From Gran Torino, he had gone to All Might. From All Might, he'd ended up looking into other options himself. From there, the next day, he had been summoned into the same room where All Might explained One For All's Origins to him, and there was Mirio Togata, called in as well. Initially, Izuku hadn't been sure why.

They talked. All Might couldn't speak to Nighteye – Well, he could, but he was too awkward to do so, on account of… Something which had apparently happened between them that he didn't want to go into right now. But Mirio – Mirio was already interning with the former sidekick. If there was someone that could get Izuku and Nighteye introduced, he was probably going to be the person to do it.

Mirio was a kind of… The best way that Izuku could describe him was eccentric and energetic. A bit like his first impressions of Mina had been, only this time, they were accurate. He carried a sense of maturity about him though, like all the third years did, despite their various personality ticks. Experience made them emit an aura in their own right, even when they didn't mean to… And really shouldn't. He was a friendly guy though, and he seemed open enough to introducing Izuku to his mentor, just because he had been asked to, and seemed to see some potential in the teen in question.

And then, Izuku had had to ask about the chances of two people getting internships there. He explained to Mirio why he was asking, and what his eventual goals for the future were - Haphazard and everywhere as they were – And he wanted to know if there was a shot at Nighteye taking both he and Mina on.

He hadn't been expecting much, and he'd gotten just about what he expected.

Asking for an internship at all was an upwards pitch to begin with. Even if they weren't being paid, it needed the Hero in question to go out of their way to find work for the intern, make sure they understood what they were doing, could do it competently, and teach them the ropes as they did it. Internships needed to Pro in question to throw a spanner in their normal routine, for the benefit of someone who could end up working at a completely different company for all they knew. Depending on the Hero in question, that could be a far harder pitch than with others.

With the way All Might and Mirio spoke about Nighteye, Izuku could already tell he would be in for a tough time, even if he went alone. Going with two people would be impossible, no matter how slim a chance anyone else said it would be.

Izuku sighed, and felt his shoulders drop. Just because he hadn't gotten his hopes up, that didn't mean that he wasn't disappointed. He'd fully admit, if he could have the chance to work with All Might's former sidekick, he would take it, without any hesitation. The things that he could learn, the kind of Hero he could meet, and see what he himself could become if he continued to learn from All Might. He could reap the benefits of learning from someone who learned under All Might while he was still in his hay-day. Mirio was, and while his Quirk had a ton of disadvantages, he was still one of the strongest Heroes-in-training Izuku had ever seen. He could take out an entire classroom of aspiring Heroes like it wasn't even a mild threat, and he credited his internship for that, for giving him the experience he needed to master his Quirk. He was an example of what Nighteye might be able to do for him.

This was a rare opportunity. An exceedingly rare one. Maybe even a once in a lifetime opportunity. Izuku knew this.

…It wouldn't be fair though. And it wouldn't be right.

"But hey! It's not impossible!" Mirio cheerfully suggested, almost like he sensed the disappointment as a physical entity and wanted to expel it from the first year sat next to him. "I don't know if it's all that likely, but it can't hurt to try, can it?"

All Might nodded at his protégé, like he was trying to encourage him not to lose faith. He had fallen silent when Izuku mentioned that he wanted Mina to go along with him. Hero teams had still been a reasonably common thing back when he was starting out as a young Hero, mainly due to the necessity in a chaotic world. Nowadays many wanted glory and fame and money, all of which was fine so long as they continued to help people, but it did come with the caveat of Hero teams becoming more and more out of fashion, and seen by some as pointless. It could even be a hindrance when starting out. Some saw co-operation as a sign of weakness. That was just the world they lived in.

It never bothered Izuku though. He was never in it for the money or the glory. He was only in it because of a desire to help. His Hero Team with Ashido was solely based on the fact that the two cared for one another, and wanted to work together, popularity be damned.

He could see the answer coming a mile away. And before Izuku even opened his mouth, All Might felt pride.

"…Thank you, Togata… But I… I have to decline."

Mirio's smile faded and his eyebrows rose up, and he looked at his junior with a curiosity. He glanced at All Might, who just gave him a small shrug, and then turned back to Izuku.

"I-I'm grateful, really…. But it's just… M… Mina and I, we… I can't expect her to just take a back seat while I'm getting some incredible opportunity. I know she wouldn't mind, and I know it must sound like a really weird reason to turn down an introduction to someone like Sir Nighteye… But it's just not fair. Not to Mina." Izuku explained. He felt a small bead of sweat run down his forehead, and a kind of awkward-based seat stick to the inside of his clothes all over, but he kept talking. "I… I owe her a lot. I…. Feel like I owe a whole lot of my progress to her, and… We agreed to be a Hero Team. I… I'd like that to be reflected in our internship… And I think you and All Might both know Nighteye wouldn't go for a Hero Team. So… T-Thank you, but…. No, thank you."

He couldn't tell if his reasoning made any kind of sense to anyone other than himself, or if he'd managed to get his point across at all. The look on Mirio's face didn't give much away. A first for someone who seemed to be expressive by default.

All Might let out the smallest of sighs himself. He had seen the entire process in its stages from the moment Izuku had walked through the door. The confusion, excitement, pragmatism and his firm, final conclusion. Izuku was a principled person. An idealistic person. He could be completely unpredictable sometimes, and other times, completely predictable, when all the pieces were in play. It didn't make him less proud. Rather, his sigh had been one of contemplation, trying to figure out what other options his inheritor had before him, and what would work for him and his team.

"You're a weird guy, and like I said, your goal seems kind of… All over the place." A sort of bemused smile had made itself present on Mirio's face. "But you seem like you know exactly what kind of Hero you want to be! There's bound to be a Hero Agency somewhere that'll be able to suit you!"

The compliments made Izuku scratch his head and smile, bashfully.

"You wouldn't happen to know any Hero agencies that would be open to a Team Internship, would you, Togata?" All Might asked. "I'm sure Nighteye has all sorts of connections to specialized teams. You wouldn't happen to have come across any?"

"I haven't run across any personally." Mirio admitted. "Truth be told, there aren't that many Hero teams left. Even a partnership that isn't a Hero-Sidekick situation is rare."

"C-Can't we intern with a single Hero?" Izuku asked. "You didn't mind suggesting trying Nighteye, and I know Kirishima and Tersutetsu and Yaoyorozu and Kendou both interned under one Hero."

"Back when I was younger, and when Hero teams were more commonplace, Hero Teams were really the only groups that could train other groups that had already decided on forming a Team. The training and methods that you need to learn are very different to that of a solo Hero. The same is true now, except the difference is mot Heroes go solo. Teams haven't been seen as necessary in decades." All Might said. "In both of your classmates' cases, they were picked by Heroes who saw individual potential in them, and they could both benefit under them individually – Not as a team. Were they both in teams, I don't think it would be too likely they would have been selected. Not by the Heroes who did select them, at any rate."

Izuku let out a small sigh and nodded. That made sense, he supposed. Hero Teams were a rarity these days. Plus, if the stories from his various classmates were anything to be believed, some of the internships had been… Less than valuable.

"I would suggest going to the Hero Team Enrichment Group." Mirio said, holding his chin with his hand like it was going to help him spark an idea in his mind. "But I don't think you'll find anyone right now. It's mostly second and third years, and we're all putting everything into our academics now we're in the second semester. Some of us have internships of our own to focus on."

That was another idea Izuku had which had been shot down. He bit the inside of his lip to stop him from vocally expressing his quickly growing frustration and disappointment. There had to be someone around who could take them on, right?

"There's only really the Pussycats that I can think of, and they've lost an active member recently. You would've been involved in that incident, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah…" Izuku nodded. He shivered as he remembered the attack and everything that he'd gone through in that entire incident. Though they were pro's, given everything that had happened, Izuku wouldn't be surprised if they had been just as traumatized as he had been. He certainly wouldn't have been able to blame them...

So where did that leave him? No one had any real ideas, and he couldn't think of any alternatives that hadn't already been suggested.

"...Leave this with me, Midoriya." All might suddenly said. Izuku looked up at his mentor to see him with the tip of his thumb between his teeth as he thought hard about what options there were. "I'll look through my old contacts, see if I can find anyone suitable for you. I'll let you know what I find, and you can make a decision from there."

Izuku blinked. "A-Are you sure, All Might? I-I don't want to bother you like that..."

"Don't you worry about that, my boy. I'm sure Aizawa is going to be putting you through the hoops now that you have your Provisional License. you focus on getting a bit of rest and I'll find some people who might be willing to take you and Ashido on. I'll let you know in a day or two, okay?"

Part of Izuku was prepared to protest, and insist that All Might didn't need to go out of his way like this for him. this was supposed to be something he did on his own, wasn't it? That was part of what a Hero needed to be - Self sufficient, and able to make contacts and connections, and reach out to people as they needed to, without someone else being around to do it for them. A part of him felt weird, almost lazy, for relying on All Might for something like this, and bothering him like this felt... Rude, really.

Then again, what Gran Torino had said to him rung true now. Asking All Might for help, when he was so dedicated to helping him reach the absolute fullest potential. And All Might had said himself, back in the hospital after his rescue, that he was devoted completely to helping him become the best Hero that he could be. He couldn't reject that help.

He'd grown a lot. Enough that he knew that he had, whenever he thought back to how he was at the start of the year - But that didn't mean all his traits had changed.

...There wasn't much else he could do either. So, he decided to nod his head, and smile, thankfully.

"Thank you."

* * *

"You two got freakin' scouted by that hyper third year?"

"Kind of ironic for you to talk about someone being hyper like it's a bad thing, Ashido."

"Yeah, you're kind of the epiphany of 'hyper.'"

"Still!" Mina pouted slightly, and folded her arms. "Me and Izuku're actually looking, and she just came up to you two _both_ and just asked if you wanted to work with her?

"She said we'd be a good fit." Tsuyu explained simply. "I guess the third years are allowed to scout people for the Heroes they work with."

"We're meeting up with Hadou tomorrow, and she's gonna take us to meet with Ryukyu." Uraraka said, her hands balled up with excitement. "I still can't believe it - She's one of the top Heroes in the country!"

"We still need to actually be accepted by her, Ochako." The short girl reminded her friend. "It's not a sure thing yet."

"I know. Doesn't mean I'm not excited though!"

Mina couldn't help but feel sightly jealous of her friends for already having a meeting with a Hero who might be willing to intern them. Well, perhaps jealous wasn't the right word. Envious? She didn't have any bad feelings towards either of them, not by a long shot. She was happy for them even. Maybe irritated worked better.

Her own Sports Festival internship tutor hadn't wielded her any good results. Heator was apparently already doing work with other interns. Really, she shouldn't be surprised, and she knew she really shouldn't. Heator was one of those Heroes who believed in training the next generation as much as possible, so he was constantly taking on new interns whenever he got the chance. If anyone had been going to help them out, it would have been him. But he already had his hands full.

Meanwhile, Uraraka and Tsuyu hadn't put in any special effort, but someone had offered them an internship together by sheer chance. They were lucky, and it was a great opportunity the pair of them would be insane not to take up if they were officially offered. Still, for the searching Acid Quirk user, there was just a bit of irritation at the irony here.

While the third years demonstration had been incredibly effective at convincing some that they would benefit intensely from the hands-on experience, there were a few people who opted not to go down that route. Some felt that a continued focus on academics was what was best for them at the current moment, and that an internship right now they needed to narrow their focus. Mina wondered if she would have made the choice to try to improve her grades if she and Izuku hadn't made a Hero team. Then again, if she and Izuku hadn't made a Hero team, chances were that they wouldn't really be dating, and she probably wouldn't have as decent grades as she did before they started going out. So she might not have had much choice.

At this rate, she was gonna be lucky to find an internship though.

"No luck with you and Midoriya then, I'm guessing?" Tsuyu asked.

Mina took a slow, long drink from her mug of sweet coffee. There was a part of her that wondered if they were pushing things, trying to get an internship as a Hero Team. Yeah, Hadou had scouted Uraraka and Tsuyu, but they weren't a Hero Team. They were individually being trained, so maybe that had something to do with it? Hero Teams just weren't common any more. Would anyone really be willing to take them on?

She let out a loud sigh once she finished her drink, and then looked at her friends sat opposite her. "Let's just say I'm a bit jealous of you two getting one more or less brought to you."

"That bad?"

"No one takes Hero Teams anymore!" Mina explained with a dejected groan. She leaned back into the lounge sofa and crossed her legs. "I know the times've changed, but you'd think there's one or two Team Agencies left! The Pussycats are out because of what happened to Ragdoll, and Izu's even talked to Iida about his brothers agency, and they're still trying to reorganize after that whole incident with Stain. they're all either not taking Teams, or they've recently just taken a major hit."

"Hero Teams are pretty rare these days." Uraraka nodded.

"You're telling me." Mina nodded back. "I knew they were rare when me and him decided to make one. Don't think I realized just _how_ rare they are though."

"You can't just take separate internships?" Tsuyu questioned, tilting her head slightly. "If it's getting to be that much of an issue..."

Taking another swig of coffee, Mina just shrugged. "It's Izu's idea. He's the one who wants to intern together badly."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean I'd love to, hell yeah, but if we just can't do it, I'd rather we get... _A_ internship than no internship, y'know?" Another drink - This time, finishing the coffee off. She leaned forward, and put the empty mug on a drink mat on the table. "He got called into All Might's office, so, maybe he'll be able to help."

Both the other girls nodded, and simultaneously took swigs of their own drinks. Even though everyone had accepted and offered their support to Izuku, Mina could still sense a hint of... She wasn't sure if she could call it discomfort. Maybe that was part of it, but people seemed more either just unsure of what to make of the situation, or were still processing it. Izuku's inherited Quirk was a pretty groundbreaking revelation in the name of... Well, everything they had grown up believing as fundamental truth in their society.

In relation to Quirks, anyway.

Some of them just didn't know entirely what to say when it came to Izuku. not that they were afraid of him, or distrusted him. They were all still friends, and no one liked him any else. It was just a matter of...

Where do you go from fundamentally breaking one of the few established truths about Quirks?

They just needed time. The shock would wear off eventually.

"Yeah man, I got the whole thing sorted with Fatgum earlier today!"

"Already? But we only heard about them a couple of days ago..."

As if on cue, Mina heard two voices she immediately recognized. Izuku's and Kirishima's. Both were in one of the corridors, headed towards the lounge room she and the other girls inhabited. She turned her head in the direction of the corridor she heard their voices from.

"Fatgum seemed really into the whole idea! I really gotta thank Amakiji for introducing me!"

Both of them entered sight at the same time. Behind the pair of them, Kaminari and Sero seemed to have tagged along and just been letting the two of them talk without interrupting them. Perhaps they had been part of the conversation before they had come into earshot.

"I just hope All Might can help us - Oh!" Izuku made a small noise when he saw the three girls all looking at the four of them as they entered the room. He raised one of his hands in greeting and gave them all a gentle smile. "Hey, you guys."

"Hey Deku, everyone." Uraraka greeted cheerfully, giving him a slight wave back.

"Hey Izu." Mina smiled.

There was a single moment, one insanely short, brief, but tense moment where Mina and Kirishima looked at one another. They didn't say anything to one another, and unless someone was especially watching for it, no one would notice in the slightest. No one could notice for how short a moment it was.

It wasn't more than a glance. It conveyed the intent well enough though.

To Kirishima, anyway. Maybe he had planned on saying something if he caught her on her own - Their last conversation had been interrupted, after all - But right now, there were people around and neither of them wanted this to be a big, public thing... Whatever it was that was going on, anyway. If nothing else, the glance the pair of them gave one another confirmed that in lieu of some kind of formal agreement.

"Alright, you guy's have fun." Kirishima said, patting Izuku in the shoulder. "I've gotta get an early night if I'm gonna be with Fatgum and Amakiji tomorrow!"

"Huh? It's like, six in the afternoon!" Kaminari pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Kirishima just shrugged, and made his way towards the nearest staircase. "I've got a feeling I'm gonna need the rest!" With that, he disappeared up the stairs just as quickly as he'd shown up. His sudden departure had left a few people... Confused, to say the least.

* * *

"So... You reckon All Might'll be able to find anything for us?"

"He said that he'd look and if he found anything he'd let us know." Izuku scratched the side of his cheek awkwardly. "It... Still feels kind of... Wrong almost, relying on All Might for something like this."

Looking around his room, Izuku laid eyes on one of the limited edition posters he'd gotten his hands on years ago. He just looked at the Heroic figure of his favorite Hero, his mentor, like the poster would reveal the secrets of whatever it was he was thinking or doing right now.

Predictably enough, no answers came.

"Maybe he's already got something in mind and wants to surprise you!"

The green-haired teenager laughed softly, and sat down on the side of his bed. "I... Kind of doubt that's the case, Mina."

"Hey, y'never know!" She said, cheerfully, and optimistically as always.

As Izuku had suspected, Mina hadn't had any luck with her connections either. Finding placements willing to take students on at all was proving to be a trickier goal than one would have expected, never-mind finding an organization willing to take on actual proper duos.

This had been so much easier after the Sports Festival, when they actually had a list of people who they knew would be interested in hiring them.

As first years, their options were limited, and first years breaking off from their classes to get involved in internships was severely limited. First years didn't have a ton of connections, and typically, they didn't head out for internships this early. Everything had to be pushed forward for this years batch though. They needed to learn as much as they could, as quickly as they could.

"As for All Might... Don't worry about it, dude." Mina carried on, putting her hands behind her head and leaning back into her hands. "He probably just wants to help. and after everything you went through..."

She stopped herself before she could finish her sentence. She'd spoken without thinking. Essentially, she'd just borderline implied that All Might had felt guilty about not being at the Lodge to stop the Villains from kidnapping both him and Bakugou.

Somehow, she had a feeling that was at least a little bit the case though. When she spoke to the universally beloved Hero back at the hospital, before the Rescue operation, that was the feeling she got from him. Guilt and shame for not being able to be there to protect people who needed him. Maybe in his own way, this was him trying to pay his protege back for letting him down, and letting him get taken by the Villains along with Bakugou.

He probably didn't need that on his mind though.

Izuku tilted his head and looked at her, but he then shrugged slightly and decided not to question further into what she meant. Or maybe he'd picked up on the implication but had just decided to not let it bother him. Either way, Mina gently exhaled through her nose. "...You know All Might better than I do. But from what you said, it sounds like he does really just want to help. Just... Try not to feel bad, I guess."

"It... Doesn't work like that."

"Yeah, I know..."

"...Thanks though." Izuku smiled at her gently. "You're... Probably right."

His smiled faded quickly though, returning to a look that was a lot more serious than he normally looked. His expression was easy to read to anyone who knew him, especially to Mina.

Something was still bothering him.

"You okay, Izu?" Mina asked, tilting her own head slightly. "You look kinda down."

For a moment, Izuku just remained silent, like he hadn't even heard her. He didn't even really move all that much for a couple of seconds. Internally, he was debating if it was something he should bring up.

His debate with himself didn't last long.

"Mina... What's going on with you and Kirishima?"

Mina's own expression dropped, and she blinked at him, hard. The question had caught her off guard. "Eh?"

"You two've been acting... I don't know, standoffish, for a few days now?" Izuku explained in as best terms he could. "You try and avoid him, and he makes an effort to stay away from you, or leave whenever you happen to be around. I thought you two were friends?"

"...Has he said anything to you?"

"I asked him. He pretended that he didn't know what I was talking about. He isn't exactly a good liar."

The pink girl blinked, and then looked out the window. That would explain what he'd been doing with Kirishima, Kaminari and Sero. They weren't exactly common people for him to hang around, but if he'd wanted Kirishima's perspective on things, it'd be another story.

She'd really, really hoped that he hadn't noticed it. There were more important things for the pair of them to be concerned about than this issue she had with Kirishima. Some people might even call her issues petty.

But they weren't. Not to her, anyway.

Getting onto his feet, Izuku found himself looking at the back of her head. He'd opened up something she really hadn't wanted him to, he could tell. The polite part of him, the part that was telling him that he should be minding his own business and not prying into something like this, was surprisingly quiet. He didn't have any doubts that this was something Mina needed to tell him, and that he wanted to know.

He remembered their promise to be up front and honest with each other.

And despite not wanting to bother him with it, Mina did too.

"...Y'know what my problem with him is?" She said, sighing. She turned around to look at her boyfriend, with deadly serious eyes. "The guy I used to know back in middle school hated bullies. He at least tried to do the right thing. I barely even knew the guy existed and I could tell that. You don't go up to three strangers and apologize for being too scared to do anything a crook four times your height that's threatening you if you don't have that kind of attitude - And when we're at Yuuei, he goes off and decides to be buddies with the biggest prick he could find!"

Bakugou, Izuku noted

"But y'know, I could forgive that. I could - He didn't know what Bakugou was like. All we really knew about him was that he was angry and vicious. We didn't know just how personal his problem with you anyway." Mina's words were tumbling out by now. She didn't think she could stop even if she wanted to. "Except I call bullcrap on him not knowing how much of a jerk Bakugou is when he's more or less told flat out by your old classmates!"

"Huh?"

"He told me that back before we went to the lodge, he and Bakugou wan into some of your old classmates, and they more or less admitted to treating you like crap because you were Quirkless, and for some insane reason, Kirishima just thought Bakugou was the exception - When he was the ringleader and treated you like crap since the day we all got here! How the hell did he not put two and two together then?!" She was yelling at this point. "And then, after all that shit, he goes _right back_ to being buddy-buddy with Bakugou?! What am I supposed to think about him?! From where I'm looking, he's the biggest hypocrite I've ever met - And this is someone I used to think of as alright, maybe even a friend!"

Izuku didn't say anything for a few moments. Nor did Mina. After yelling all that out, she found herself needing to catch her breath.

There was about half a minute of silence. And then Izuku broke it.

"...Oh."

Oh. _Oh?_

"Oh?" Mina raised an eyebrow. "Oh... What?"

"Just... Oh."

"What'd'you mean, _'Just oh?!'_ " Mina asked, exasperated. Her eyes opened up wider and she just looked at him, like she was looking at something that had arrived from another world. "How are you not more pissed off about this?!"

The freckled teenager let out a long sigh. "...Mina, I'm glad you told me about this. Really. But... I... Just can't get upset over something like this."

"Can't get - _How?!"_

"He helped you escape from the lodge to come and find me during the attack. He helped you rescue me. And he... Convinced Bakugou to apologize to me. He's done so much to help us - "

"None of that makes it okay to just run back to him the first chance he got like nothing ever happened!"

"...Maybe not... But I don't think he did any of it to be malicious." Izuku explained, a lot calmer than Mina was able to be. "He was thinking about his friend. you were there. When we were training. I told him I thought people could change. I encouraged him to give Kacchan another chance... And I don't regret that."

"It's just... It's not right." Mina exclaimed with a sigh. "It's messed up... And it's not exactly gonna be easy to look at him the same way after knowing all this crap he's pulled."

"I don't... Know exactly what to make of Kirishima either. But... I like liking him a lot more than I like the idea of hating him... I-If that makes sense."

Another sigh. Most the the pent up anger, she had gotten out of her system. Now she was just... Deflated, she supposed. Maybe she had just had more things pile up onto her without having a way to vent them. She was still upset, she knew that much. But it wasn't starting to pile on anymore. It hadn't gotten too bad. And she was still angry.

Just... The right amount of angry now, she supposed.

"I... Guess it does."

"...Are you alright?"

"...I don't know. Tired, mostly, at this point... I uh... I'm sorry. For, y'know. Shouting."

"It's alright."

Izuku ended his sentence by pulling her into a hug, as warm and comforting a hug as he could manage - An arm around her waist, and a hand holding her head close to his chest. It took her a moment, but she returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his torso, and grabbing onto his clothes with balled up fists. Right at that moment, she felt weak, and so did Izuku, but they kept one another up.

This... This was good. It was better than what had happened last time, when everything built up into a powderkeg of phobia and stress and worry. This... Worked.

"...I am sorry for yelling. Really." Mina muttered into his shoulder. "I'm not just saying it..."

"I know... And I mean it when i say it's okay. I... Am also sorry for not being a bit more tactful."

"Nah, Izu. You took it about as well as anyone can expect... Given how I just kind of... Lost it."

"...What do you want to do about this whole Kirishima mess?"

"I... I don't know." She admitted. "I don't know... I... I guess I need time to actually... Figure that out. I guess."

"Can I tell him he doesn't need to keep avoiding you, or would you prefer he keep his distance?"

"...I guess he doesn't have to avoid me. But... I don't want everyone else knowing that this is a thing. I've had enough of my problems becoming public knowledge for one eternity."

Izuku couldn't stop himself from laughing softly at that. And that made Mina laugh too. It felt... Really good.

At that moment, Izuku's phone went off. For a couple of minutes though, the pair of them just ignored it, and focused on hugging one another tightly.

When they separated, Izuku checked his phone. And read the message aloud, his expression showing a little bit more surprised as each word left his mouth.

 _"Hello, Midoriya. Glad to hear that you've been settling back into life at Yuuei after everything that happened. All Might tells me that you've been looking for a place to perform an internship with a Hero Team. Normally we wouldn't do this, since we're still dealing with everything that happened, but I figured we owe you one. Let me know when you've seen this, and we can arrange to meet tomorrow. Bring your Partner as well. We'll see if we can set things up..."_ Izuku's voice trailed for a moment, as it fully began to click who this message was from. The final lines confirmed it. " _...I never got the chance to thank you for saving Kota in person. I'm hoping now I'll get the chance._  
 _... -Mandalay"_

* * *

 **This chapter took a while, because I've had Uni projects - I published a thing in an anthology! - And I wanted to get this one right, and not make it seem like a hit piece - I feel i got it alright? I had a lot i wanted to cover in this chapter, and striking the balance between giving Kirishima the scathe he _kind of does deserve_ , and not coming across as a _complete preaching twat_ about it is proving more difficult that I thought - All I can really ask if ya'll stick with me on this. I think it'll go somewhere we're all pretty happy with. I look forward to future chapters on this topic.**

 **And this direction is one I'll imagine not a lot of people were expecting - I've made no secret I don't like Nighteye, but I owe the direction this story is going now to help from, as he's known on Tumblr, Thekingofwinterblog. Dude's been insanely helpful with helping me figure out a part of AE I was dreading, and turning it into something I'm now completely excited for, so thank you to him, and I look forward to turning this into a fun arc.**

 **If you enjoy my work and want to support me, I have a Ko - Fi and a Pat Reon, both under QuirkQuartz - Donations are not required, but they are insanely helpful (Loans suck). you can also follow me on Tumblr and Twitter, also under QuirkQuartz, to see what I'm doing and talking about regularly.**

 **And as always, I hope you enjoyed, and i will see you in whatever it is i do indeed decide to do next - See ya!**


End file.
